Tourist concern over Angkor Wat lights
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Tourists have voiced concern about an ongoing light installation project at Angkor Wat temple, according to a Phnom Penh Post report. The lighting project, which began last year, involves inserting lights into the walls of the temple as part of an effort to illuminate the entire complex. However a number of tourists have reportedly complained that the lights could alter the ancient complex’s appearance and cause structural damage.
The lights are being installed by the Sou Ching Company, which offers night tours of the ancient temple complex. The company had previously placed lights on the ground, but these were often trampled by tourists, according to Sou Ching’s owner Var Chhouda, who added that the company had spent US$12 million on lighting since 2006.
Bun Narith, Director General of the Apsara Authority, which manages the temple, was reported saying that those tourists who had complained about the light installation wrongly believed that the company had been drilling holes in the temple walls. He added that the Apsara Authority and UNESCO would meet on 2-3 June to “evaluate the impact of using light at night at the temple site”.
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