PREAH VIHEAR: For the whole month of September, the Preah Vihear and Koh Ker temples received a total of nearly 10,000 visitors.

According to the National Authority of Preah Vihear, from September 1 to 30, Koh Ker temple received a total of 7,691 domestic tourists. Meanwhile, nearby Preah Vihear Temple received a total of 3,705 visitors, including 372 foreign tourists.

The numbers reflect the renown gained by Koh Ker being inscribed on the World Heritage List last month, as Preah Vihear has always outperformed Koh Ker in tourism numbers. In fact, Koh Ker visitors more than doubled since June, when the temple received around 3,000 visitors, all domestic.

Preah Vihear sits atop a peak in the Dangrek Mountains which form a natural border with Thailand. It was Cambodia’s second World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2008. Koh Ker is enjoying its new status as a World Heritage Site, which was bestowed on September 17, 2023 during the 45th meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Saudi Arabia. Since then, the temple has received national attention from proud Cambodians and government officials.

On September 29, former First Lady Bun Rany and current First Lady Pich Chanmony led a prayer ceremony at Koh Ker to bless the site and dedicate the honor to their Khmer ancestors.