China's remote-sensing satellites helps Angkor Wat restoration

China's remote-sensing satellites are providing environmental data for protection of the ruins of Cambodia's heritage Angkor Wat, a magnificent 12th century Hindu temple which holds exceptional universal value.
Located in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province, Angkor Wat Temple, inscribed in the UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1992, is the country's most popular tourist destination.
Chinese satellites are using remote-sensing to collect and process images of the site in real time, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
"Basically, we have eyes in the sky and we can see what happens to the ancient temples and their environment immediately," said Hong Tianhua, deputy director and secretary general of the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage under the Auspices of UNESCO (HIST).

HIST is the first and only institute in the world to use remote-sensing technology to preserve cultural heritage sites under UNESCO.
A memorandum of understanding, signed by the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI) of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), HIST and Cambodia's Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA) in 2014, enables cooperation in the use of Chinese satellite data, the report said.

China helped APSARA build a ground station to receive and share the data.
It also helped train managers and researchers, who can now compare new data with that collected in the past to identify any abnormal changes, providing a scientific basis for decision-making, says Hong.

UNESCO has been helping the preservation and rebuilding of Angkor Wat since the 1980s.
India too is helping restoration of Angkor Wat temples with technical support provided by Archaeological Survey of India.
According to latest official figures, the 12th century heritage site attracted 842,719 foreign tourists in the first four months of this year, earning USD 24.1 million from ticket sales.