The Royal Government of Cambodia commemorates the 30th anniversary of the inscription of Angkor on the UNESCO World Heritage List
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the inscription of Angkor on the UNESCO World Heritage List, “Angkor Thanksgiving” event was officially launched on 14 December 2021 by the APSARA National Authority. The event was presided over by H.E. Mrs. Men Sam An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection, and attended by H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, H.E. Dr. Hang Peou, Director General of APSARA National Authority, as well as the Governor of Siem Reap province along with national authorities and international conservation team members.
A prayer ceremony was conducted in front of the Angkor Wat temple with the sunrise as the background. This religious ceremony included the offerings to 108 monks. The Angkor Thanksgiving event will be running for 5 days from 12 to 16 December 2021, which will consist of religious ceremonies, an exhibition on the achievements of the APSARA National Authority for the past three decades, and nightly art performances.
In her speech H.E. Mrs. Men Sam An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection, expressed her sincere appreciation to UNESCO for assisting the Royal Government in carrying out a number of programs in the preservation of Angkor as well as for the international and national experts who had worked at Angkor.
UNESCO has been closely working with the government and people of Cambodia to protect the significant archaeological sites of Angkor that stretches over 400 km2, built by the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th century. Starting with the “Save Angkor” international campaign in 1991, UNESCO has worked together with the international community to safeguard the multiple temples in the vast area of the Angkor. In 1993, one year after the inscription to the World Heritage List, the first International Conference on Angkor was held to establish the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC-Angkor). Under this coordination mechanism of international experts, working together with the national experts of APSARA, UNESCO continues safeguarding the Angkor archaeological site together with the people of Cambodia.