Siem Reap (Cambodia), March 22 : Huge crowds of tourists rallied in front of the famed Angkor Wat temple here in northwest Cambodia early Sunday morning to watch the stunning sunrise during the spring equinox.

"A large number of national and international tourists gathered to capture memorable photos of the sunrise aligning with the central tower of Angkor Wat," Tourism Minister Huot Hak said in a post on social media.

"Equinox sunrise is an extraordinary and rare phenomenon that occurs only twice a year," he added.

The APSARA National Authority (ANA), the government agency responsible for managing, safeguarding and preserving the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap province, said the Angkor equinoxes happen twice a year.

The first event, called the Vernal Equinox, which can happen between March 21 and 23, and the second event, called the Autumnal Equinox, which can occur between September 21 and 23, reports Xinhua, citing ANA's quote in a news release.

"The Angkor equinox is an event during which the sun rises above the central tower of Angkor Wat, creating a stunning spectacle that our Khmer ancestors bequeathed to humanity and providing insights into both faith and science," the ANA said.

Angkor Wat is one of the major temples in the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park. The 401-square-kilometre park is home to 91 ancient temples, which were built from the ninth to the 13th centuries.

The Southeast Asian country's most popular tourist destination attracted a total of 955,131 international tourists in 2025, generating a gross revenue of 44.7 million US dollars from ticket sales, according to the state-owned Angkor Enterprise.

/IANS