Temple Caretakers Preserve Angkor’s Heritage Through Rainy Season

via Khmer Times, 20 June 2024: Temple caretakers from the APSARA National Authority are diligently clearing plants and weeds from the Angkor Archaeological Park even during the rainy season. Their ongoing work aims to protect the temples’ structures from damage caused by invasive plant roots. Tourists are advised to maintain a safe distance during maintenance to avoid accidents.

The temple caretakers of the Apsara National Authority (ANA) are hard at work clearing plants and weeds both inside and outside the temples in the Angkor Archaeological Park, even during the wet season when heavy rains means more plants and work.

Long Kosal, spokesman for the ANA, said yesterday that the main objective is to reduce any risks to the temples and preserve their structure.

“We specifically aim to remove plants and mosses that grow on the temple structure, as these plants will grow bigger and their roots will penetrate deeper between the stones, which means it becomes more difficult to remove them,” said Kosal. “This task is ongoing.”

He added that the team will organise work areas to clean and clear, so all the temples in the Angkor Archaeological Park are kept tidy.

Source: Temple caretakers kept busy during wet season