|
| English.news.cn 2013-07-07 20:29:04 |
   
 
|
PHNOM PENH, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia celebrated the fifth
anniversary of the inscription of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple
on the UNESCO's prestigious World Heritage List on Sunday evening.
Around 10,000 Cambodians filled the capital's Olympic Stadium for traditional art performances and concert hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Sok An and simulcast on all local television channels.
The celebration was to promote awareness of the temple to Cambodian young generations and to show the country's pride that the temple gained the world heritage status, Sok An said.
"Preah Vihear temple is the emblem of Cambodia's pride and is a part of the whole humanity heritage," he told the rally.
Preah Vihear, a Hindu temple, is located on the top of a 525- meter cliff in the Dangrek Mountains, about 500 km northwest of Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia.
The temple had been a flashpoint of sporadic armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops between July 2008 and May 2011.
The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded Cambodia the temple and its vicinity on June 15, 1962, but Thailand claimed the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers of scrub next to the temple in 2008, triggering deadly armed conflicts.
Cambodia said in 2011 that during armed clashes, about 414 mortar and artillery shells had fallen on the temple and caused serious damage to the temple.
The country brought the case of the disputed land of 4.6 square kilometers to the ICJ in April 2011 and the court is expected to issue a decision on whether Cambodia or Thailand will own the land by the end of this year.
According to the Preah Vihear provincial tourism department, the temple has attracted some 5,240 foreign visitors during the first six months of this year, up 56 percent if compared with the same period last year.
The department's deputy chief, You Sovan, said that tourist growth to the temple was thanks to the temple's outstanding universal value and good security.
"Now, no military tension between Cambodian and Thai troops and security at the temple has been strengthened, so I believe that more tourists will spend their holidays visiting the temple," he told Xinhua by telephone.
He said Preah Vihear temple could become the country's 2nd largest tourism destination after the Angkor world heritage site in the future.
Around 10,000 Cambodians filled the capital's Olympic Stadium for traditional art performances and concert hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Sok An and simulcast on all local television channels.
The celebration was to promote awareness of the temple to Cambodian young generations and to show the country's pride that the temple gained the world heritage status, Sok An said.
"Preah Vihear temple is the emblem of Cambodia's pride and is a part of the whole humanity heritage," he told the rally.
Preah Vihear, a Hindu temple, is located on the top of a 525- meter cliff in the Dangrek Mountains, about 500 km northwest of Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia.
The temple had been a flashpoint of sporadic armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops between July 2008 and May 2011.
The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded Cambodia the temple and its vicinity on June 15, 1962, but Thailand claimed the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers of scrub next to the temple in 2008, triggering deadly armed conflicts.
Cambodia said in 2011 that during armed clashes, about 414 mortar and artillery shells had fallen on the temple and caused serious damage to the temple.
The country brought the case of the disputed land of 4.6 square kilometers to the ICJ in April 2011 and the court is expected to issue a decision on whether Cambodia or Thailand will own the land by the end of this year.
According to the Preah Vihear provincial tourism department, the temple has attracted some 5,240 foreign visitors during the first six months of this year, up 56 percent if compared with the same period last year.
The department's deputy chief, You Sovan, said that tourist growth to the temple was thanks to the temple's outstanding universal value and good security.
"Now, no military tension between Cambodian and Thai troops and security at the temple has been strengthened, so I believe that more tourists will spend their holidays visiting the temple," he told Xinhua by telephone.
He said Preah Vihear temple could become the country's 2nd largest tourism destination after the Angkor world heritage site in the future.
Editor:
Luan
No comments:
Post a Comment