Puppetry show amuses Sun Festival in Egypt's Aswan

ASWAN, Egypt - The Sun Festival of Abu Simbel temple in southern Egypt this year has brought Chinese festivity to the ancient land of Nubians, as Chinese puppetry show has joined the international celebration event for the first time. The Sun Festival, which attracted thousands of visitors worldwide to participate in the event on Feb 22, this year also coincided with the Chinese Spring Festival celebration week.

Built by King Ramses II, the statues of the king and the sun god remain in darkness inside the Abu Simbel temple throughout the year except on Feb 22 and Oct 22, when the sunlight showers on the statues to commemorate the king's coronation and birthday.

This year, the Aswan art festival is joined by folklore performances from Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Algeria, China, India and Thailand besides Egyptian local troupes.