PREAH VIHEAR: The historic Preah Vihear province held a cycling event this week in the Koh Ker Temple compound to promote tourism and encourage active youth in celebration of International Youth Day.

Preah Vihear Governor Kim Rithy initiated the event, which saw the participation of over 200 young people and spanned over 20km around the Koh Ker Temple. He said the event aimed promote national heritage and tourism, as well as to celebrating the 24th anniversary of International Youth Day in order to encourage the public as well as officials to turn their attention to the national heritage left behind by their ancestors, such as the Koh Ker Temple.

Tep Sinith, a tourist from Phnom Penh, said that Preah Vihear is a province with great tourism potential, and if the leaders continue to create special events, national and international tourists will get to know the province better. “As far as we know, in addition to Koh Ker, Preah Vihear, and Phnom Tbeng, there are many other temples and attractive natural tourism sites in the province,” he added.

Preah Vihear province gets its name from its main attraction, the Preah Vihear Temple, one of Cambodia’s three World Heritage Sites recognized by UNESCO. The temple is located in the mountains that form a natural border with Thailand and dates back to the 10th century. Koh Ker Temple is another popular destination in the province and welcomed over 4,000 visitors in July alone.

Previously, Preah Vihear was one of the most remote provinces in Cambodia, but now is now connected to the rest of the country through infrastructure development over the last decade.

SOURCE: AKP