This undated photo shows the restoration site of a sandstone Naga balustrade at the southern side of the famed Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. (Apsara National Authority/Handout via Xinhua)
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The restoration work on a Naga balustrade and stairs at the southern side of the famed Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park is nearing completion, the Apsara National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Monday.
"After a three-month restoration work, more than 90 percent of the Naga balustrade and stairs on the southern side of Angkor Wat has been completed," Say Sophearin, an archaeologist of the ANA's Department of Temple Preservation and Archeology, said in the news release.
He said his team had repaired and strengthened the foundation of the staircase and a sandstone Naga balustrade, fixed the Naga's head, and restored the 15-meter-long balustrade to its original position.
"The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of November," he said.
Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat is one of the key temples in the 401-square-km Angkor Archeological Park in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province.
The Angkor Archeological Park, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian country.
The ancient park attracted 602,570 international tourists during the January-October period this year, earning a total revenue of nearly 28 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales, according to the state-owned Angkor Enterprise. ■
This undated photo shows staff members working at the restoration site of a sandstone Naga balustrade on the southern side of the famed Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. (Apsara National Authority/Handout via Xinhua)
