Archaeologists restoring pillars at Angkor Wat's Bakan Tower in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists are actively engaged in the restoration of the pillars at the Angkor Wat's Bakan Tower in Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park, said an APSARA National Authority (ANA)'s news release on Thursday.

Soy Sophearin, a technical officer for stone conservation at the ANA's Department of Conservation of Monuments and Preventive Archaeology, said that launched in February 2025, the project was to address concerns of decay affecting these historical structures.

The restoration team had identified that all of the 10 pillars required significant attention due to deterioration, he said, adding that the decay was attributed to both natural elements and bat urine, which had gradually eroded the stones over time.

"Restoration work has made notable progress so far, with nine out of the 10 pillars being successfully restored, marking approximately 80 percent completion of the project," Sophearin said.

Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat is a major temple in the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Siem Reap province.

The 401-square-km Angkor Archaeological Park is home to 91 ancient temples, which were built from the ninth to the 13th centuries.

The ancient park, which is the kingdom's most popular tourist destination, attracted a total of 527,577 international tourists during the January-May period of 2025, generating a gross revenue of 24.5 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales, according to the state-owned Angkor Enterprise.

The top five source markets for the ancient site were the United States, Britain, France, China, and South Korea. Enditem