Time
October 21 to October 23, 2024
21st-23rd October, 2024
Venue
Peking University / Peking University
Working Language
English / English
Organizers
International Centre for the Interpretation and Presentation of World Heritage Sites under the auspices of UNESCO (WHIPIC)
UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia
World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (WHITR-AP Beijing)
School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University
Funding Partners
Korea Heritage Service
UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia
School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University
Training Workshop Background
The World Heritage Convention has been implemented over the past 50 years. Nonetheless, conservation and management of World Heritage properties encounter challenging missions in today's complex world. Evolving methodologies and perspectives underscore the management of World Heritage, where the traditional boundaries between natural and cultural heritage, tangible and intangible aspects, now necessitate a comprehensive, people-centered approach. Many studies highlight the need for such an integrated approach, but specific methods need to be developed more on a regional basis. World Heritage interpretation and presentation could serve as a constructive method in addressing these challenges.
An inclusive heritage interpretation requires a thorough understanding of the heritage sites not only from the Outstanding Universal Value and other tangible heritage perspectives. It also requires an exploration and reflection of intangible heritage elements that are integral to the maintenance, protection, management, and use of the sites. Applying the tangible‑intangible heritage integrated approach allows site managers to take into account and reflect upon voices that have often been neglected. This integrated approach linking World Heritage (tangible heritage) and Living Heritage (Intangible Cultural Heritage) can also enable a more holistic management of the sites through the consideration of diverse perspectives and methods.
As one of the most advanced regions in heritage management and interpretation, East Asia is a very suitable region to pilot new approaches; based on the lessons learned, methodologies can be developed for further replication. With a view to developing a methodology that ensures an integrated approach to managing and interpreting heritage, including both intangible and tangible aspects, the International Centre for the Interpretation and Presentation of World Heritage Sites under the auspices of UNESCO and UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia organize a Capacity‑Building Workshop for East Asia on Integrated Approach to Heritage Management.
Training Workshop Objectives and Expected Outcomes
As the very first pilot capacity‑building programme of WHIPIC and the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, this workshop aims to collect good practices of heritage management cases with integrated approaches on understanding heritage values. It is also expected to find out shared issues and challenges of heritage management in the East Asian region, especially to apply integrated approaches that consider synergies of tangible and intangible aspects of World Heritage properties.
This workshop will focus on understanding holistic perspectives and methods, collecting diverse good practices, and ultimately developing models in the future. Through the models and good practices in East Asia, this workshop will bring an outcome in a long‑term period to develop a shared framework and methodology of heritage management for the East Asian Region, with consideration of its regional context. It is also expected that the collected cases provide insights on heritage interpretation and presentation processes to synergise World Heritage and Living Heritage to deliver its diverse values and stories of the property.
Training Workshop Participants
This training workshop has received widespread response and support from heritage site managers across East Asia. A total of 22 World Heritage managers and professionals from China, South Korea, Mongolia, and Japan will come together as participants in this capacity‑building workshop. As the daily guardians of World Heritage sites, their workplaces cover the management departments of representative historical and cultural sites in various East Asian countries. The representatives from China include those from the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology (Zhejiang Provincial Monitoring Center of World Cultural Heritage), Qing Dong Ling Cultural Relics Management Office, Administration Bureau of Dr. Sun Yat‑sen's Mausoleum, Lijiang Old Town Academy of Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management Bureau, Hangzhou Liangzhu Archaeological Site Administrative District Management Committee, and Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Landscaping & Cultural Heritage. On the Korean side, representatives come from Jongmyo Shrine, Changdeokgung Palace Management Office, Korea Heritage Service, Haman County, and Seoul Metropolitan Government. Representatives from Mongolia's administration for World Heritage – Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape and the administration office of the Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape, as well as the World Heritage Division of the Fukuoka Prefectural Government of Japan will also participate. The attendees will share their experiences and case studies, engaging in in‑depth discussions on strategies for the collaborative management of tangible and intangible heritage, and exploring future development directions to promote progress in comprehensive heritage management.
In addition, staff from the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia‑Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (IRCI), based in Japan, will attend the training workshop as observers. Officials from international organizations such as the UNESCO UB Antenna Office in Ulaanbaatar and the UNESCO East Asia Regional Office will also come to Peking University, where they will share their insights with other experts and jointly explore practical experiences and innovative approaches to enhancing comprehensive heritage management capabilities in East Asia.
This workshop has also specially invited Dr. Gamini Wijesuriya from Sri Lanka as a guest lecturer to deliver a keynote speech to the participants. Dr. Gamini Wijesuriya is a renowned heritage practitioner with over 40 years of experience in World Heritage, living heritage, and people‑centred approaches to conservation. He has held positions as former Director of Conservation of the government of Sri Lanka, Principal Regional Scientist of the Department of Conservation, New Zealand, and a staff member of ICCROM, Rome, Italy. Currently, he is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Asian Cultural Heritage Alliance (ACHA), established by the Chinese government, and a Special Advisor to the Director of WHITRAP Shanghai. In 2021, he was honored with the prestigious ICCROM Award for his significant contributions to the protection and management of global cultural heritage.
