'Careless' tourists banned from Angkor holy land

Tourists wearing skirts that are too short, or that reveal cleavage, will not be allowed into Cambodia's famous Angkor temple complex.

This is a new order issued by the Cambodian government on July 7, after several photos of tourists dressed in revealing clothes at this famous historical site appeared online.

According to the Angkor management board, from August 4, visitors wearing revealing clothing will have to change or will not be allowed to enter this area.

The huge Angkor temple complex attracts millions of visitors every year. Photo: Channelnewsasia.

Long Kosal, of the Apsara Authority, the agency that manages the Angkor ruins, said revealing clothing here includes shorts that expose the buttocks, no bras, or T-shirts that expose the back and upper body. “That kind of clothing shows disrespect to our good culture and traditions,” he added.

The Apsara Authority’s policy included a photo of Western tourists in a state of “skimpy” clothing at the temple, including a woman wearing only a T-shirt and underwear. The Apsara Authority asserted that “Angkor is a sacred land of the soul of culture and nation.”

Many tourists have taken nude photos at this ancient temple. Photo: Amsingh/Tumblr.

In 2015, several tourists were arrested for taking nude photos at Angkor. They received suspended sentences and were deported from Cambodia. The arrests were an attempt to prevent similar incidents when a series of photos of an Asian woman posing topless at Angkor went viral online.

Angkor Archaeological Park is a world heritage site, the seat of the Khmer empire from the 9th to the 15th century. It is Cambodia's most visited destination and one of Asia's most popular, welcoming over 2 million visitors in 2015.

According to Zing.vn