The Apsara National Authority begin the second stage of restoring the ancient bridge earlier this week. ANA
Experts from the Apsara National Authority’s (ANA) Department of Conservation of Temples Outside Angkor Park are in the process of renovating the Ta Ong Bridge – built during the Angkorian period – as the bridge has become dilapidated.
The ANA said the second stage of the renovation began in April and would last until August. The budget for the work had come entirely from the ANA.
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“We are renovating the foundations of this ancient bridge to reinforce its structure, while allowing water to flow under it to avoid flooding. This makes access easier for visitors and should attract more tourists,” said the ANA.
The Bayon-style Ta Ong Bridge is located in Khvav commune’s Chong Spean village of Siem Reap province’s Chi Kraeng district. It is built from laterite, an iron rich stone, and is decorated with dragon hand rails and a Buddha meditating in the centre of a dragon’s head.
An official in charge of renovating the bridge, Puth Soth, said the southern side of the bridge was the main focus of his team’s work. They had catalogued the stones that needed repairing or replacing, and were currently reinforcing the collapsed portion of the bridge and conducting repairs on the torn eastern wall. All repairs were being made as carefully as possible, to ensure that the original style was maintained.
Suth added that the factors that led to the damage were age, the effects of the weather, and the pressure of the great weight of the structure. Along with the structural repairs, his team was also restoring 70m of dragon-styled hand railings back to their original state.
The first repairs were carried out in 2020, when ANA experts reinforced the northern side of the bridge.
Cambodia Association of Travel Agents adviser Ho Vandy said the ANA team had been carrying out a great deal of preservation and restoration work lately – something those who work in the tourism industry had been calling for.
He suggested that the ANA let people know more about their renovation work and establish clear timelines for its completion, so that domestic and international tourists could make plans to visit.
He said the preservation of the Kingdom’s national heritage was of critical importance in attracting visitors.
“The ANA does this work to enhance the beauty of Cambodia for visitors – and to ensure that the future of our treasured temples is sustainable,” he said.
