Cambodian royal ballet dazzles in Beijing

With a giant LED screen presenting a panoramic view of the mysterious Angkor Wat and Cambodia's natural scenery, dancers from the Royal Ballet of Cambodia appeared onstage in Beijing on Saturday. The dancers' graceful hand gestures, dazzling costumes and subtle, powerful choreography made it hard for audience members to take their eyes away from the performance.

It's been 10 years since the last time the Khmer troupe performed in the Chinese capital in 2008 during the Beijing Olympics. This time, the show is among 130 different performances during the month-long Meet in Beijing Arts Festival, which will run through late May.

The 90-minute show at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center contained a finely choreographed selection of traditional Khmer songs and dances, with a Chinese flair to celebrate the 60th anniversary of China-Cambodia ties.

The first climax occurred when a Cambodian singer sang a famous folk song, Molihua (Jasmine Blossom) in Chinese, as audience members spontaneously clapped in rhythm and sang along.

Two songs written by late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk were also performed: Nostalgic China and China, My Second Hometown, both of which were composed during the late king's visit to China.