Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that Cambodia’s Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk is both a witness to and a promoter of the friendship between China and Cambodia.
In his meeting with the Queen Mother at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, Xi said she has special friendly feelings towards the Chinese people, and she is well-deserved to be awarded the Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China. Xi also said that China is her second home, adding that she is welcome to come to China at any time.
Cambodia's King Father Norodom Sihanouk was a banner of the China-Cambodia friendship, said Xi, adding that together with the elder generation of Chinese leaders, he personally forged an unbreakable ironclad friendship between China and Cambodia.
"We will always remember the historic contributions he made," Xi added.
For her part, the Queen Mother said Xi is the greatest friend of Cambodia, and it is a great pleasure to see that the Cambodia-China friendship forged by the elder generation of leaders of the two countries has been continuously consolidated and developed.
The Queen Mother said she believes that the ironclad friendship between the two countries will grow even deeper and more unbreakable.
Xi arrived in Phnom Penh earlier on Thursday for a state visit to Cambodia. Cambodia is the last leg of Xi's five-day, three-nation Southeast Asia tour, which also included state visits to Vietnam and Malaysia.
Xi hails Queen Mother Monineath as promoter of China-Cambodia friendship
Beyond natural attractions, many Chinese holiday-makers opted for industrial heritage sites, factories, and museums during the May Day holiday this year, seeking to experience the craftsmanship behind "Made in China" and the beauty of labor.
In Jingdezhen, an eastern Chinese city with over 1,700 years of ceramic-making history, visitors joined a fire-lighting ceremony at imperial kilns dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1644). They added firewood to centuries-old furnaces before trying porcelain-making techniques such as wheel throwing, glazing and painting, experiencing craftsmanship that has endured for a thousand years.
"We truly see the wisdom of ancient people and their craftsmanship. Especially in the Labor Day holiday, we should honor working people in this way," said Song Yichen, a visitor.
In Jiaxing, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, families toured the rocket production base of LandSpace, where the Zhuque-2 carrier rocket -- the world's first liquid oxygen-methane rocket to reach orbit -- was developed.
A close look at fuel tanks and rocket segments assembled in the workshop marveled both children and adults.
At Beijing's Shougang Park, once a steel plant, visitors watched a restored blast furnace demonstrate the full steel-making process, gaining a vivid sense of steelworkers' dedication and craftsmanship.
Another furnace in the park has been converted into a cyberpunk-style amusement park, where industrial relics combine with modern technology to create a distinctive visitor experience.
In Tianjin, a neighboring city of Beijing, visitors explored the Tianjin Machine Tool Industry Museum, where more than 40 historic machines and 200 artifacts are on display. Tourists are allowed to operate miniature models, experiencing the dialogue between metal and wisdom.
Industrial tourism gains popularity during May Day holiday
