The Sambor Prei Kuk archaeological site is located at Kampong Thom, Cambodia. — SO SOKUN THEARY/Unesco.org
English-speaking Cambodian tour guide Krouch Sodany is eager to see more international tourists to the Unesco-listed Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk, saying that their visits are vital to improve the livelihoods of tour guides and local residents.
Sodany is one of over a dozen tour guides working at Sambor Prei Kuk. Her income has significantly dropped since the Covid-19 pandemic because there have been fewer foreign tourists to the seventh-century site.
“Sometimes I don’t have any clients,” she said. “It’s unlike before the Covid-19 when there were a lot of tourists coming here.”
The 41-year-old mother of four children said she could earn just around US$100 (RM4.20) per month, remarkably down from about US$350 (RM1,479) per month during the pre-pandemic era.
Situated in a quiet patch of forest in central Cambodia’s Kampong Thom province, about 190km north of the capital, Phnom Penh, the Sambor Prei Kuk was built by King Isanavarman I. It is believed to be the most important religious centre of the pre-Angkorian era.
The archaeological site was inscribed into the Unesco World Heritage Site list in 2017.
It comprises more than 100 temples, 10 of which are octagonal, unique specimens of their genre in South-East Asia, according to the Unesco website.
“The special features of this Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk are that the temples were made by bricks, and their age is more than 1,400 years old,” she said.
“In Cambodia, octagonal-shaped temples are available only at this Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk,” she added.
According to the National Authority for Sambor Prei Kuk, the site attracted a total of 10,962 foreign tourists and nearly 40,000 domestic visitors during the January-September period of 2025.
Thoeung Pov, a 51-year-old local tourist, also wished to see more international tourists to the site, saying that their presence would generate more income for local residents.
“I visit this Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk for the first time, and I admire our ancestors for constructing these wonderful temples,” he said.
Oeun Pisey, a 37-year-old domestic tourist, said the Sambor Prei Kuk consists of ancient temples featuring Cambodian civilisation left by ancestors centuries ago.
“There are a lot of ancient temples built by our ancestors and the surrounding area is beautiful and freshly cool with trees,” she said.
Sambor Prei Kuk is one of four tangible cultural properties in the South-East Asian country to be listed on the Unesco World Heritage Site list. The other three listed properties are the 12th century Angkor Archaeological Park, the 11th century Preah Vihear Temple, and the 10th century Koh Ker archaeological site. – Xinhua
