PHNOM PENH, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The restoration work on the central tower of Prohm Kel temple in Cambodia's famed Angkor Archaeological Park has been completed, the APSARA National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Wednesday.
Built in the late 12th century under the reign of King Jayavarman VII, Prohm Kel temple, a small ruined sandstone monument, was a former Angkorian hospital chapel.
"It was severely damaged for a long time, but now it has returned to its original state," the news release said.
Lai Lon, one of the Prohm Kel temple's restoration team members, said the temple had collapsed when its stone structure was unstable and very dilapidated.
"I'm happy to be involved in the restoration of this ancient temple," he said. "This restoration would make the temple strong and leave it for future generations to see and know."
The Bayon-style Prohm Kel is located just north of the main gateway to Angkor Wat temple in the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap province.
The 401-square-kilometer Angkor Archaeological Park is home to 91 ancient temples, which had been built from the 9th to the 13th centuries.
The Southeast Asian nation's most popular tourist destination attracted almost 800,000 international visitors in 2023, earning 37.1 million U.S. dollars in revenue from ticket sales, according to the state-owned Angkor Enterprise. ■
