Quest for Authenticity: Story of Conservators of APSARA National Authority
This article is part of the series of article “CULTURE” in collaboration with “Nyonyum Magazine”.
This year, the number of tourists visiting Angkor Wat dropped sharply due to the worldwide spread of COVID-19. The number of ticket sales, which used to be up to 14,000 a day, dropped by less than several dozens a day. Amidst such circumstances, there are people taking care of Angkor Wat quietly, as if they are preparing for the day tourists visit again. The west causeway of Angkor Wat, which is one of the 15 restoration works of Angkor monuments, is being restored by a joint team of Cambodia and Japan. The Japan Foundation Asia Center (JFAC) has been providing supports through the “Sofia University, Sophia Asia Center, for Research and Human Development (hereinafter referred to the Center). We interviewed the Deputy Director General and conservators of the APSARA National Authority (ANA), who are working with the Japanese to restore the west causeway of Angkor Wat. We learnt how the JFAC’s mission aiming at cultural exchange between the two countries and creation of new values are realised through this interview.