This is what you need to know before setting foot in the temples of Cambodia
With over a thousand temples, shrines and tombs hidden in the jungle, Angkor Wat temples are places of worship for Cambodians , in addition to the largest tourist attraction in the country that attracted two million people last year. The angkor archaeological park It contains the remains of what was the capital of the Khmer Empire between the 9th and 15th centuries, and is a national symbol as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The authorities responsible for the park are especially irritated because suffer from overexposure . After finding photographic examples of visitors wearing revealing clothing, as well as some scandals (including the arrest of tourists taking nude photos on the site), they have decided to take decisive action to encourage visitors to respect the local culture: some new dress codes to be implemented on August 4 . After this date, visitors who do not wear appropriate clothing - that is, with pants or skirts below the knees and a shirt that covers the shoulders -, they will not be able to enter the temple complex.
These dress codes actually existed, but the authorities have decided to tighten up, especially after the incidents in 2015, when two American sisters were arrested after taking nude photos of each other inside the Preah Khan temple. The sisters were sentenced to a suspended sentence of six months, a fine of 1 million riels (around 219 euros), in addition to the ban on returning to the country for the next four years. The incident was not an isolated case, as three other French men in their twenties were also deported after stripping naked at the complex the same year.
Respect
The measures are part of a broader code of conduct that will also urge tourists to stop smoking or touching the stone sculptures . In 2014, for example, a visitor from New Zealand smashed a century-old Buddha statue after illegally spending the night in one of the temples.
In other Southeast Asian countries, similar dress codes in some sacred places such as those proposed in Angkor Wat, also in Cambodia itself, to show respect when visiting the Grand Palace, we must wear clothes that cover our shoulders, legs and arms . According to local officials, will point out inappropriate clothing to visitors so they can repurchase the ticket later after changing clothes.