Cambodia’s display of origami hearts was included in the Guinness Book of Records on Tuesday as the world’s largest show of origami hearts, breaking the previous record held by Britain, a Guinness World Records adjudicator announced.
The nearly 4 million origami hearts were displayed at the complex of the famed Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Cambodia’s Siem Reap province to show support for the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in May and the 12th ASEAN Para Games in June.
The origami hearts project was achieved by the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC), which is led by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s youngest son Hun Many. “I can now confirm that with 3,917,805 origami hearts, the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia has now achieved a new Guinness world record title,” Guinness World Record official adjudicator Tomomi Sekioka said.
Sekioka expressed her admiration for the team’s incredible teamwork, passion, and discipline. She mentioned that the new record beat the previous world record of the largest display of 53,704 origami hearts achieved by Britain on Feb. 9, 2019.
Speaking at the event, Many said the origami hearts project was to express support for all Cambodian athletes who will contest in the upcoming SEA Games that the kingdom will host for the first time in 64 years. “It’s a new pride for Cambodia, and it shows our spirit of love and unity,” he said.
The origami hearts themselves are a physical representation of love and hope, which resonates with the Cambodian people, who have gone through a tumultuous history. The project has served as a reminder that despite their history, Cambodians are capable of coming together and achieving great things.
The achievement of the Guinness World Record has also generated international attention and has put Cambodia on the map. The project has become a source of pride for the nation and has highlighted the country’s ability to organize and execute large-scale events.
Photos: Beyond The Games
