Cambodia’s ninja gardeners tame jungle growth

via AFP, 02 November 2020: Another story about the gardeners of Angkor, a group of maintenance workers who scale the temples pruning plants before their roots can destabilise the structures.

Stacking a ladder against the towering spires of Cambodia’s archaeological marvel Angkor Wat, Chhoeurm Try gingerly scales the temple’s exterior to hack away foliage before it damages the ancient facade.

The 50-year-old is part of a crack team of gardeners ensuring the kingdom’s most valued heritage site is not strangled by overgrown tree saplings sprouting from the sandstone’s cracks.

For two decades, Chhoeurm Try has made the treacherous climbs barefoot up to Angkor Wat’s central tower, which rises 65 metres high (213 feet) above the archaeological complex in the northern city of Siem Reap.

Source: Saving Angkor Wat: Cambodia’s ninja gardeners tame jungle growth – France 24