PHNOM PENH, Dec. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Cambodia's world famous Bayon temple, whose legendary faces have mesmerized countless generations, is in grave danger of losing its central tower, experts warned.

    Experts made the warning during the ninth Bayon symposium organized by the Japanese Conservation Team for Safeguarding Angkor (JSA).

    A series of conferences on the Angkor Archeological Park, whichended on Friday, opened Monday in Siem Reap with this harsh fact: the monuments, Cambodia's biggest economic asset, have been at themercy of the elements for 600 to 1,200 years and are built on water-weakened sand.

    Experts said the Bayon, one of the three most popular attractions at Angkor along with Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm, sits on about 11 meters of sand above ground level. The central tower, weighing 2,200 tons, stands on soil that is sinking, experts from Japan was quoted by The Cambodia Daily as saying Friday.

    The tower should be tied with ropes to keep it together, a roofshould be installed to keep rain off, and gaps in-between stones should be cleaned and grouted without delay, experts suggested.

    At the Bayon Symposium last February, participants stressed that drastic changes in the underground-water level could cause Angkor monuments to sink and asked for data to be collected on theamount of under-ground water pumped by hotels.

    "We must take emergency measures," for the conservation of the monument and for the safety of tourists, said Ros Borath, deputy executive director of the Department of Monuments and Archeology for Apsara, the government agency managing Angkor. Enditem