Kampong Thom (FN), August 31 - There has been 233,598 visitors visiting Sambo Prei Kuk just in 54 days counting from the first day of becoming the World Heritage site. According to Seng An, tourism official in Kampong Thom province on Thursday morning.

"Sambo Prei Kuk is a cultural and historical site located in Sambo village, in Kompong Thom province, about 200 kilometers northeast of Phnom Penh. There are 233,598 visitors, including 838 international visitors, an increased of nearly 100% compared to prior registration” said Seng An.

Sambo Prei Kuk site was listed as the World Heritage by UNESCO on July 8 at the World Heritage Committee's 41st Summit in Krakow, Poland with the participation of 193 member countries.

The site was once an old capital named Isanapura and a religious center for the worship of Shiva Brahmanism. More than 100 temples constructed of solid brick, laterite and sandstone and decorated by bas-reliefs were built in Sambo Prei Kuk in the 7th century.

The previous two cultural and intangible temples of Angkor Wat and Temple of Preah Vihear were listed as World Heritage sites in 1992 and 2008 respectively.

"Visitors came to the site the most on August 6-7, 2017, the day when we would pray for happiness,” he added.

"The Ministry of Tourism plans not to allow vehicles to drive into the site, but they will provide tourists with electric cars, electric bicycles, and they can walk. This service will help maintain the quality of the temples, help to increase job opportunities for people who live around the temple," he added.

He also invites all national and international visitors to take care of this unique monument and to keep the temple free from waste or trash, and promote the growth of Cambodia's tourism.
=FRESH NEWS