acrobatic gardeners take care of the city of Angkor

A symbol of the refinement of the Khmer civilisation, the famous city of Angkor in Cambodia, built in the 9th century, today relies on a team of acrobatic gardeners to resist the onslaught of time. Every day, under the worried gaze of tourists, they climb to the top of these remains to remove the vegetation that grows there. Extreme climbers who maintain one of the most beautiful tourist sites on the planet.

140 euros per month

Their perilous mission always begins in the early morning. Before climbing, climbers systematically remove their shoes. An employee explains: “We remove them to really feel the stones under our feet. […] It keeps us from falling.” On a building 15 meters high, three gardeners, secured by a rope, will remove by hand or with the help of their feet the plants which grow between the bricks and which damage the structure. For this very dangerous work, these employees are paid 140 euros per month.