Cambodia seeks recognition for heritage sites

PHNOM PENH Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism says officials will submit applications to UNESCO to award World Heritage status to Battambang, Kratie and Kampot.
The ministry’s international cooperation director, Thok Sokhom, told local media that the kingdom was ready to present proposals for three UNESCO World Heritage areas. The country already has two World Heritage sites; Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear.
“If the plan is a success, it will show that our towns have a long and rich culture, which is a key element to attract more tourism.”
Each UNESCO World Heritage site must prove to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius, exhibit important monumental arts or natural landscapes, bear a unique testimony to a cultural tradition, or be an outstanding example of architecture, according to the selection criteria.
Inside no.2“It will take three years for government officials to collate enough evidence to meet UNESCO’s selection for each of the three cities,” the director added.
Battambang is Cambodia’s second most populous town and a popular tourist destination due to nearby ancient temples, Buddhist shrines and a bamboo railway. It is also the capital of Battambang province.
Located in the east of Cambodia, Kratie is a small town on the banks of Mekong River. A stretch of river north of town is home to a group of rare Irrawaddy dolphins. The dolphins are the town’s main tourist attraction.
Kampot is a quiet riverside town, just a few kilometers from the Gulf of Thailand. It is well-known for its famous black pepper, which is widely available in Cambodia. The town is also famous for its Kampot fish sauce and durian.

sourced:ttrweekly.com