Angkor Wat fears

[Rogie]

The temples of Angkor have stood for a thousand years, surviving wars and periods of obscurity when they were hidden by the jungle.

Now, as Cambodia enjoys a sustained period of peace and relative prosperity, Angkor Wat has become the symbol of the country - but it is now in danger of being loved too much.

The main sites now buzz with tour groups throughout the day - but experts believe that the increase in visitor numbers could put the site in danger.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18354513

 

For anybody who hasn't been to Angkor, here is a good 3 minute video from National Geographic that gives a useful introduction to the temples and a bit of historical background:

 

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/specials/ancient-mysteries/angkor-wat-temples/

[pong]

BS-all this fearing and soliciting for more money.

Crowds-IF those Khmer can get beyond their corruption and power-struggles, even worse as the Thai can do, then there should be plenty of hard cash (30US$ for a 4day pass) for a thorough upkeep and restoration. Which is in fact why they hired some Malay company a few years ago to make a kind of honest ticketing+entry scheme and not just pocketing local bribable police.

Maybe I have just read too many of these fear-provoking sensational reports to even trust them any more. Yes-the sky COULD also fall now and then we all have a blue hat.

ALso there seems to be a nasty repetition as these articles spread around Europe here- today in the uK, next week in DE=Germany, then the Scandinavians, usually then followed up by FRancais and gatetailed by the Southerners Italains and espanoles.

[Rogie]

Good point you raise about upkeep and restoration. In a country like Cambodia that kind of long-term project should be self-financing, and so I suppose on a very crude level

 

A. Lots of tourists = crumbling structure

B. Lots of tourists = increase in revenue to combat A

 

Problems such as flooding however, as we well know from Thailand's experience, are difficult to plan ahead for.

 

As far as 'nasty repetition' is concerned, that's the way things go nowadays. A BBC item may be dubbed into other languages for transmission in non-English speaking countries, or each country can send out its own journalist and do exactly the same thing, but how many Cambodians with jobs as conservationists looking after Angkor speak fluent Spanish, Italian, German or any of the Scandinavian languages? French? quite possibly.

[Guest]

Without tourists to bring in revenue, the whole site would become increasingly overgrown by the jungle.

[Guest peppan]

Every Site needs good management. And then it is no problem.

Locals can enforce public opinion to ensure good practices.

And politicians will follow otherwise do not vote for them !

[Alexx]

Locals can enforce public opinion to ensure good practices.

And politicians will follow otherwise do not vote for them !

I'm not convinced that's the way it works in Cambodia with elections and public opinion.