AKP, July 09, 2017 –Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia H.E. Hidehisa Horinouchi sent here this morning a congratulatory message to the Cambodian people on the occasion of registration of Sambor Prei Kuk on the World Heritage List.
“I would like to express my warmest congratulations to the people of Cambodia on the occasion of the Sambor Prei Kuk monuments being inscribed on to the UNESCO World Heritage List,” he said.
The Sambor Prei Kuk archaeological site is made up of clusters of beautiful brick temples, built in the pre-Angkorian era, which exemplify the awakening uniqueness and originality of the Cambodian culture that continued right into the Angkorian era, said H.E. Ambassador, adding that a team from Waseda University of Japan, led by Prof. Takeshi Nakagawa, has been working on the research and restoration of the monuments for more than 20 years.
“I was delighted to visit the site myself last December to attend the completion ceremony for the restoration of the N1 tower of Prasat Sambor. This work had been undertaken by Waseda University in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. I was awed by the wonderful harmony that exists between the brick temples and the natural surroundings. I was also highly impressed by the lengthy engagement of the local people in the preservation of the site,” underlined the Japanese diplomat.
H.E. Hidehisa Horinouchi also expressed his hope that the inclusion of the site on the World Heritage List will bring more attention to the historical value of Sambor Prei Kuk and ensure the site will be preserved properly for the future generations of the world.
Located in Sambo village, Sambo commune, Prasat Sambo district, Kampong Thom province, Sambor Prei Kuk was listed as a new World Heritage Site of UNESCO yesterday night during the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee held in Krakow, Poland.
With Sambor Prei Kuk, Cambodia has in total seven heritages registered on the World Heritage List. The Historic Site of Angkor was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1992, Preah Reach Troap Dance (Royal Ballet) and Lakhon Sbek Thom (big shadow puppet) were proclaimed masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity respectively in 2003 and 2005, the 11th-century Preah Vihear Temple was listed a World Heritage Site in 2008, Teanh Prot (tug-of-war), a popular recreational game, was named an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015, and Chapei Dang Veng, a Cambodian musical instrument, was registered in 2016 on the UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Cambodia is now requesting to inscribe Lakhon Khol and Labok Kator on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
By C. Nika
