Two restored lion statues to be returned to the gate in front of Angkor Wat
Oct 29, 2022

Cambodia News, (Siem Reap): According to a source from the Apsara Authority, the two impressive looking lion statues, which weigh more than 3 tons and are more than 2 meters high, were taken from the north side of the dry bridge that enters Angkor Wat in 1997, and have been kept at the Angkor Conservation to be repaired by the stone conservation group of APSARA Authority.

After completing the bridge renovation work, APSARA Authority will be ready to return the pair of lion statues to the gate on the north side of Hal Bridge In front of Angkor Wat in early November 2022, after an absence of about 25 years.


Mr. Long Nary, Head of the Stone Conservation Working Group of the Department of Temple Preservation and Archeology, said that his team started repairing these sculptures in April 2022. Initially, the team prepared documents and collected the different pieces of the original sculptures to assemble them, because, before the repairs, the stone lion sculpture was dilapidated and had split into different pieces which had to be matched up and fitted together. In French times, the lion sculpture was repaired using cement to keep it stable, but later it fell into pieces due to the aging of the cement.

More photos showing the restoration work here for those who are interested : https://www.rasmeinews.com/archives/711327

I don't want to be too negative but the repairs look kind of terrible. Hopefully they'll put some sort of coloring on it or the weather will dirty them up a bit.

Colorful statues? Stuff that looks new and vibrant. Where did you think this is, Thailand?

They like to go for the thousand year, unkept ruins look in the Kingdom of Wonder.

Give it another 20 years, there will be statues of Confucius everywhere.

(Hoping it won’t come true.)

newkidontheblock wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 7:20 pm Colorful statues? Stuff that looks new and vibrant. Where did you think this is, Thailand?

Who said anything about colorful? Have you ever even been to Thailand? The ancient statues there are not colorful.


Ayutthaya.