SIEM REAP, Cambodia, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Crowds of tourists congregated in front of Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple here Friday morning to watch the stunning sunrise during the spring equinox, the APSARA National Authority said in a news release.

National and international tourists woke up at 5 a.m. local time (2200 GMT on Thursday) to witness the sunrise of the spring equinox at the Angkor Wat temple, the news release said.

"Due to the favorable weather this morning, tourists can visit and capture the beautiful sunrise," it said.

Equinox occurs two occasions a year, the news release said, adding that the equinox in March is called vernal equinox, while the one in September is called autumnal equinox.

On both occasions, visitors see the sun rising perfectly aligned with the Angkor Wat temple's central tower.

Angkor Wat is one of the major temples in the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Siem Reap province. The 401-square-kilometer park is home to 91 ancient temples, which had been built from the 9th to the 13th centuries.

The Southeast Asian country's most popular tourist destination attracted almost 800,000 international visitors in 2023, up 177 percent from only 287,454 in a year earlier, the state-owned Angkor Enterprise said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet last Saturday launched the "Visit Siem Reap 2024" campaign, aiming at attracting more tourists to the Angkor park.

He added that the Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which began commercial operations last November, is becoming a potential magnet by facilitating the trips of international tourists to the Angkor park in particular and to Cambodia in general. Enditem

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