The Pre Rup temple area has long been a hotspot for tourists looking for the perfect sunset picture. ANA
The Apsara National Authority (ANA) has temporarily banned tourists from visiting the Pre Rup temple area at the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap province because parts of the temple have become unstable and pose a safety risk.
In an announcement dated August 26, the ANA said the ban will be in effect from September 1 until repairs are completed.
Sections of the temple, a popular sunset viewing spot, have started to separate under the weight of countless tourists who visit the site regularly to view the sunset.
ANA spokesman Long Kosal said experts are making a plan to fix the temple.
“Tourist safety is our priority and that is why we need to fix it. We will make the place safe first,” he said.
A seller in Siem Reap town, Chea Heang Bou, said on Sunday that Pre Rup temple is severely damaged and the ANA should fix it as soon as possible because it could pose a danger to tourists.
“I think that it is a good thing that the ANA banned visiting this temple. I used to go there and I saw that there are many broken points. We have to urgently fix it to avoid causing dangers to our tourists,” he said.
According to San Nhorn, the official in charge of conserving the temple, Pre Rup was built in the middle of the 10th century by King Rajendravarman II. The temple has a pyramid pattern and is made of brick and ancient stone.
Meanwhile, Kosal said scores of shops, stalls and restaurants had been dismantled near the western entrance of Angkor Wat as part of the ANA’s plan to beautify the area.
The roughly 150 owners of the structures will be allowed to start selling at a new location on September 1.
Kosal told The Post on Sunday that the shop owners had volunteered to make these contributions to promote the value of Angkor as a world heritage site.
“This dismantling is voluntary under no duress. The ANA and the government will not allow for messy sales in that location. We will transform that place into a beautiful one to attract tourists. It will become a greenery tourist area,” he said.
Kosal added that the authorities will start turning the old area into pedestrian crossings and a luxury garden with wildflowers.
Maunh Ratana agreed to dismantle her souvenir shop even though she had been operating it for 20 years.
She said she loved the temple and wanted the ANA to make it as beautiful as possible.
The owner of Angkor Reach, a restaurant that has been opened in the area since 1995, said she also did not oppose the dismantling because she wanted the Angkor Wat temple complex to attract more tourists.
“The authorities didn’t force me – I volunteered to move it to a new location. All vendors have to do the same. Actually, we have long known about the ANA’s project,” she said.
A Ministry of Tourism report said in the first half of this year, 167,061 domestic and 387,839 international tourists visited Angkor Wat.
