This photo taken on July 21, 2025 shows the restored eastern causeway at Beng Mealea temple in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. The restoration of the eastern causeway at the centuries-old Beng Mealea temple in northwest Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park has been completed successfully, the APSARA National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Friday. The restoration, which started in mid-May 2024, was funded by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund, the news release said. (ANA/Handout via Xinhua)
PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The restoration of the eastern causeway at the centuries-old Beng Mealea temple in northwest Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park has been completed successfully, the APSARA National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Friday.
The restoration, which started in mid-May 2024, was funded by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund, the news release said.
The LMC Special Fund, initiated by China in March 2016, aimed at supporting small- and medium-sized cooperation projects put forward by the six LMC countries.
Leu Channora, a technical staff member from the ANA's Department of Conservation of Monuments and Preventive Archaeology, said that over the past 16 months, a dedicated restoration team had worked diligently to repair various sections of the eastern causeway, which had suffered extensive damage.
"The team not only repaired the causeway but also reinforced its foundations on both the north and south sides, as well as the walls, frame, and flooring," he said.
"The restoration included the complete installation of Naga balustrades, including their bodies, heads, beams, and pillars on both sides of the causeway," he added.
Before restoration, the causeway was in a state of near ruin, as the walls were cracked, several Naga supports had collapsed, and numerous stones were broken, he said, adding that the flooring was extensively damaged, with sections torn out and pillars supporting the Naga balustrades having fallen.
Channora said the eastern causeway of Beng Mealea temple measures approximately 70 meters in length, 13 meters in width, and stands 3.27 meters high.
It features 12 pillars and 13 drainage channels, he said, adding that this causeway serves as the longest eastern entrance to the temple.
Built in the middle of the 12th century, the layout and style of Beng Mealea temple are very similar to those of the iconic Angkor Wat temple, the ANA said. ■
This photo taken on July 21, 2025 shows part of the restored eastern causeway at Beng Mealea temple in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. The restoration of the eastern causeway at the centuries-old Beng Mealea temple in northwest Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park has been completed successfully, the APSARA National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Friday.
The restoration, which started in mid-May 2024, was funded by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund, the news release said. (ANA/Handout via Xinhua)
