PHNOM PENH, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists have been undertaking restoration work on the upper section of the early 10th century Baksei Chamkrong temple in Cambodia's renowned Angkor Archaeological Park, the APSARA National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Friday.
Chhun Ratana, an official at the ANA's Department of Conservation of Monuments and Preventive Archaeology, said the conservation team is currently reinforcing both the interior and exterior walls of the temple's upper structure, which has been identified as being at "high risk".
"The upper section has suffered severe damage due to rainwater infiltration," she said. "Prolonged exposure to moisture has caused bricks to deteriorate and fall, while cracks and water leakage in both the interior and exterior walls have further weakened the structure."
Ratana said that to restore the temple's stability and ensure long-term preservation, the team will carefully remove decayed or unstable bricks and replace them with new ones by following proper technical standards.
"The work also includes reinforcing weakened areas, filling cracks, preventing further water leakage, and installing additional structural supports where necessary," she said.
In October 2025, the ANA's leadership approved the restoration project in phases, Ratana said, adding that the first phase focuses on urgent conservation and structural reinforcement of the upper section and surrounding walls, and the subsequent phase will involve more comprehensive restoration and strengthening efforts.
Made of bricks, laterite and sandstone, Baksei Chamkrong temple is an early 10th-century Hindu temple built during the reign of King Rajendravarman II.
It is one of the temples in the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Siem Reap province, which is home to 91 ancient temples built from the ninth to the 13th centuries. ■