Cambodian tuk-tuk driver realizes his acting dream

In the daytime, the 29-year-old Sun Saythearun is an ordinary tuk-tuk driver shuttling in the bustling street of Siem Reap, northern Cambodia.

But when the night falls, he transforms himself into a happy farmer, a valiant warrior or even a peacock with flamboyant tail feathers on stage. 

Dancer of the Angkor Dynasty, an ethnic performance embedded with the history and culture of Cambodia, is his job in the evening. 

Siem Reap is a major tourist hub of Cambodia. The Angko Wat and Tonlé Sap Lake nearby draw hundreds of thousands of international tourists, particularly Chinese ones, each year.

And Angkor Dynasty is a show created by both Chinese Cambodian companies which hopes to represent the ancient stories of Khmers with modern choreographic composition and stage effects. 

It has become a new must-see attraction in Siem Reap.

“My interest in performing arts acting began when I was a child, because my grandpa was an active member of our village band,” said Sun.

“But my family just had no money to send me to a school of performing arts,” he continued.

After graduating from high school, Sun earned a living by driving a tuk-tuk taxi, and he also danced at local restaurants in the evening as a part time job. When Angkor Dynasty came into being four years ago, his life ushered in another stage. 

“We started to recruit local actors in the year of 2015, and only 80 out of hundreds of them stayed after two years of selection,” said Li Yongxi, director of the show. 

“The majority of them are not professional actors, but one thing in common is that they all love acting, and eager to participant in this show that demonstrates the tradition and custom of their own country,” he explained. 

“Sun is a very smart and hardworking young man. He can do peacock dance, coconut dance and play the role of warrior which requires strict martial art training,” the director praised.

“Acting on stage is not simply a job, but a part of my dream ever since childhood,” Sun said. 

“My dream is only half-fulfilled,” said he. “In the future, I would like to improve my acting skills and learn Chinese, so that I can go to China to perform.” 

Reporting by Mao Pengfei; trans-editing by Wang Jingzhong