Viral TikTok videos “Temple Run” endanger Angkor Wat in Cambodia – “that’s nonsense”

Some videos have been viewed more than 2 million times and inspire imitators every day.

Simon Warrack, a conservationist who has spent three decades working to preserve the nearly millennium-old ruins of Angkor, is alarmed by the potential damage and the cultural and religious insensitivity that is being trampled on.

“You wouldn't walk through St. Peter's Basilica or any other Western church in Rome, so why is it OK to do it in Cambodia,” he says.

“It's not just about potential damage to the stones from people bumping into them and falling or knocking things over – which is certainly possible – but also about damage to the spiritual and cultural value of the temples.”

Warrack says he has spoken to his Cambodian counterparts and officials in charge of the complex, who shared his concerns.

“Angkor Wat is still deeply revered by people,” he says. “Every stone is said to contain the spirits of the ancestors.”

The number of international visitors to Cambodia has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, and even some Cambodians themselves have said on social media that the trend is good for increasing much-needed arrivals.

According to a trend report from American Express, social media is one of the most important sources of travel inspiration for many vacationers.

Nearly three-quarters of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed said they participated in social media trends while on vacation, while about half said they wanted to show off their travels to impress their followers.

Many videos of the Temple Run Challenge feature people in their twenties, some running in dresses and scarves.

Angelina Dougherty, a Cambodian-American who won the 2023 Miss Pacific Asian-American beauty pageant, also joined the trend, posting a video of herself and another woman running and jumping through the temple, similar to the moves in the video game. Dougherty did not respond to a request for comment.

Hollywood made Angkor Wat known throughout the world when the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was filmed in the complex's Angkor Thom temple.

Then came Temple Runa 2011 video game developed by Imangi Studios in which players control a character who must run through temple ruins while avoiding obstacles and demonic creatures that pursue them.

The background for Temple Run has masonry and corridors that are very similar to the ruins of Angkor.

Angkor, which is on the United Nations World Heritage List and consists of more than 100 temples, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. The ruins are a major economic driver for the predominantly rural country.

In 2019, the 162-hectare site welcomed a record 6.6 million tourists, bringing in more than $80 million in ticket sales. So far this year, the ruins have attracted around 630,000 visitors.

The complex, which includes the famous Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom temples, is built from sandstone blocks and has survived war, earthquakes and forest overgrowth. Over the years, international restorers have contributed to the ongoing restoration work.

“While this trend has temporarily increased online interest in Angkor, it is critical to promote safe access, educational visits and respect for the local religious, spiritual and social significance of the sites,” says Ginevra Boatto, country director of the World Monuments Fund in Cambodia, which works with local authorities responsible for the sites to help protect them.

New visitor trends should be “carefully managed to avoid negative impacts,” she adds.

Some videos point out that the reenactments are done out of appreciation for the temples, and most reactions from viewers are positive, with many excited about the challenge of getting to know the temples.

But Hans Leisen, who has led a German government-funded conservation project at Angkor Wat for 30 years, did not mince his words when describing his reaction to the videos.

“This is nonsense,” says Leisen, who works to preserve the temples' delicate bas-reliefs and carvings that tell religious stories. “If you run through the temple, you won't see the beauty of the carvings. And if you fall or stumble, you'll touch a wall to steady yourself, endangering the fragile carvings.”

Leisen fears that this trend could spread to other temple complexes in Southeast Asia. In Bali, the Indonesian government has set up a tourism task force and a hotline in 2023 where locals can report bad behavior by tourists.

Authorities recently updated their guidelines for the 14 million visitors expected to come to Bali this year, urging visitors to respect local laws and customs, such as wearing a head covering in temples and respecting the sanctity of religious sites.

In Cambodia, the Apsara National Authority, the government agency that oversees the Angkor complex, issued a code of conduct for visitors at least eight years ago that prohibits touching carvings and leaning on temple structures.

According to local media, the kingdom's tourism minister recently expressed concern over possible damage to the ruins due to the viral trend. Apsara declined to comment, while the tourism ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Nevertheless, at least one Cambodian is not bothered by the viral challenge.

Seun Sam, a policy analyst at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, says the videos could help bring much-needed tourism to Cambodia, which contributed 18 percent to gross domestic product in 2019.

According to the Asian Development Bank, tourism in general will contribute to the country's economic growth increasing by 5.8 percent this year.

“As long as they don't damage the temples and bother other people, it's OK,” says Seun, who notes that in some videos visitors walk on paths that serve as walkways.

“Tourism is very important for Cambodia's economy. When foreign visitors come, they buy things, they spend money on hotels and transport. We want to encourage that.”