The floating bridge is made from plastic air bags and floats on a moat just south of Spean Harl, the original bridge, which is expected to be ready for reopening within three years.

The original bridge, west of the temple, is about 190 metres long. The first phase of repairs was completed in 2007 by the Apsara Authority and Japan’s Sophia University, which spent 12 years repairing one 90-metre section.

The Apsara Authority and its Japanese counterpart signed an agreement and held a ground-breaking ceremony for the second phase of repairs, which will fix the other 100 metres at a total cost of nearly USD1.6 million.

Angkor Historical Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992 and is now the country’s largest cultural tourist destination. It is located in Siem Reap province, some 315 km northwest of capital Phnom Penh.