International Heritage News
01
2024 Southeast Asia Heritage Impact Assessment Training Successfully Held in Malacca
From April 22 to 26, 2024, the training course "Heritage Impact Assessment: Principles, Methods, and Mitigation Measures" was successfully held in Malacca, Malaysia.
The training was organized by SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SEAMEO SPAFA) and the Department of National Heritage (DNH), Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Malaysia. It was co-organized by WHITRAP Shanghai (UNESCO Asia-Pacific World Heritage Training and Research Center Shanghai), National University of Singapore, and DNLF Heritage Studies Centre of KMITL (Thailand). A total of 32 trainees from 11 countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and 12 instructors participated in the training. Ms. Li Hong, Program Director of WHITRAP Shanghai, was invited as a lecturer, and Professor Shao Yong, Executive Director of WHITRAP Shanghai, delivered the closing speech.
Source: WHITRAP
02
UNESCO International Conference "Cultural Heritage and Peace" Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Hague Convention Held in
The Hague
The international conference "Cultural Heritage and Peace: Building on the 70th Anniversary of the Hague Convention," co-organized by UNESCO and the Netherlands, was held in The Hague from May 13 to 15, 2024. The conference brought together cultural heritage experts and garnered international attention.
The 1954 Hague Convention was the first international legal framework devoted entirely to the protection of movable and immovable property, setting a precedent for heritage preservation within international humanitarian law. Protecting cultural heritage, whether in peacetime or during armed conflict, means safeguarding the memory of peoples and societies and transmitting the diversity of humanity to future generations.
This conference aimed, on the one hand, to reflect on the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned over 70 years of implementing this international normative instrument. On the other hand, it served as a unique global platform for UNESCO and its partners to strengthen advocacy efforts to build and promote the foundations of respect, diversity, and peace.
Source: www.unesco.org
03
2024 Paris Olympic Torch Relay: A Journey Through UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Photo credit: AFP or licensors
The lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic flame took place on April 16, 2024, at the Archaeological Site of Olympia (Greece), inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1989. The flame will arrive in Marseille, France, on May 8 and then continue its journey through multiple regions of France.
The torch relay will pass through approximately 30 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including Marseille, Carcassonne, Bordeaux, Mont-Saint-Michel, Nice, Strasbourg, Burgundy, Fontainebleau, Versailles, and the Seine River, before arriving in Paris on July 26 for the opening ceremony. This marks the first time in the history of the modern Olympic Games that the opening ceremony will be held within a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Source: www.unesco.org
04
IUCN Report Released: "A Framework for Monitoring Biodiversity in Protected Areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures – Concepts, Methods, and Technologies"
This report provides a decision-making framework for biodiversity monitoring programs to support biodiversity monitoring systems in protected areas and OECMs (Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures). It aims to guide managers in efficiently developing long-term biodiversity monitoring plans, covering four stages: preparation, design, implementation, and reassessment. These correspond respectively to defining monitoring objectives, determining monitoring scope and content, implementing actions, and evaluating effectiveness and making adjustments. In addition, the report presents general considerations for developing effective monitoring plans, available monitoring tools and technologies, and other supplementary information. Therefore, this report is of great significance in helping managers address biodiversity challenges and improve the management and protection of ecosystems in protected areas.
The report focuses on management-oriented monitoring and provides step-by-step methods for developing biodiversity monitoring plans to help management and planning personnel consider all details and ensure the plan's effectiveness. Furthermore, considering the long-term nature of monitoring activities and technological changes, the report argues that coherent and consistent design, along with sound methodological and technical preparation, is the foundation for effective biodiversity monitoring.
Source: IUCN (as seen through "You Me and Nature – IUCN")
05
2024 "Silk Road Youth Eye" Photography Competition
UNESCO invites young photography enthusiasts aged 14–25 from around the world to pick up their cameras and participate in the sixth edition of the "Silk Road Youth Eye" Photography Competition, sharing their best photographic works. The competition aims to use photography as a medium to promote cultural interaction and mutual understanding, thereby fostering peaceful coexistence among different peoples and cultures along the Silk Road.
The theme of the sixth edition is "Celebrating Life," inviting young photographers to explore and capture the essence of cultural celebrations along the historic Silk Road. Against the backdrop of escalating global conflicts, economic instability, and the climate crisis, this theme is more relevant than ever.
Entry Deadline: July 14, 2024 (before 24:00 Paris time)
Theme: "Celebrating Life"
Age Categories: 14–17 years old and 18–25 years old
Source: whc.unesco.org
Domestic Heritage News
01
The 5th Museum Youth Forum Held on May 17 at the Qin-Han Branch of the Shaanxi History Museum
Since 2020, the Chinese main venue event for International Museum Day has established a Museum Youth Forum to showcase the new thinking, new concepts, new practices, and new achievements of contemporary young museum professionals, creating an important platform for young people to demonstrate their talents.
Centered on the theme "Museums for Education and Research," this forum invited young scholars from museums, universities, and research institutions across the country to actively discuss topics such as museum education resources, spaces, and practices; museum research capacity building; and the application of digital technologies in education and research. Additionally, the forum innovatively set up a "Director Dialogue" session, inviting youth representatives, paper authors, and museum directors to engage in in-depth exchanges on current hot topics, exploring effective pathways to promote high-quality museum development.
Source: Shaanxi History Museum
02
2024 International Museum Day Chinese Main Venue Held in Xi'an
On the morning of May 18, the opening ceremony of the Chinese main venue event for International Museum Day 2024 was held at the Qin-Han Branch of the Shaanxi History Museum. At the ceremony, the National Cultural Heritage Administration released the latest data on the development of China's museum sector in 2023: 268 newly registered museums during the year, bringing the total number of registered museums nationwide to 6,833; over 40,000 exhibitions and more than 380,000 educational activities were held; and 1.29 billion visits were recorded. The ceremony also launched the 2024 "Reading China in Museums – Promoting Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture and Core Socialist Values" thematic exhibition promotion initiative, announced the fifth batch of 123 national first-grade museums and the winners of the 21st (2023) "Top Ten National Museum Exhibition Excellence Awards," held a centralized授牌 (certificate awarding) ceremony for National Revolutionary Cultural Heritage Collaborative Research Centers, inaugurated the Qin-Han Branch of the Shaanxi History Museum and the "Qin-Han Civilization" series of exhibitions, and announced that Beijing will be the host city for the 2025 International Museum Day Chinese main venue event.
In addition to the opening ceremony, the event featured thematic forums, youth forums, curator forums, and an international academic symposium on Qin-Han civilization. Xi'an, the host city, also organized a series of distinctive and vibrant exhibitions, academic seminars, public engagement activities, and cultural heritage promotions. Across the country, in accordance with the unified arrangements of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, thousands of diverse and richly formatted activities were carried out around the International Museum Day theme, building a bridge for interaction between museums and the public.
Source: National Cultural Heritage Administration
03
Archaeological Achievements Symposium for Dongta Temple Site in Jiaxing Successfully Convened
On May 14, 2024, the Symposium on Archaeological Achievements of the Dongta Temple Site, jointly organized by the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Jiaxing Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism (Jiaxing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau), was successfully held in Jiaxing. Multiple experts from Peking University, Yungang Research Institute, Shanghai Museum, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Zhejiang Ancient Architectural Design and Research Institute, and other domestic archaeology and cultural heritage conservation institutions attended the symposium.
Future archaeological work should further clarify the temple's layout, providing a more comprehensive and scientific basis for the construction of an archaeological site park. Regarding site protection and utilization, it was recommended to implement comprehensive protection and carry out authentic presentation. Additionally, combined with the site protection project, urban landscape restoration and presentation could be undertaken. The successful convening of this symposium clarified the value and significance of this archaeological work and laid an important foundation for future scientific and comprehensive archaeological excavation, protection, and utilization.
Source: Archaeology China
04
Dunhuang Academy's Cultural Heritage Digital Protection Team Awarded the 28th "China Youth May Fourth Medal Collective"
As an important force in Dunhuang cultural heritage protection, the Cultural Heritage Digital Protection Team of the Dunhuang Academy has applied innovative thinking and high-tech methods. After decades of exploration and research, the team has achieved a series of accomplishments in the field of digital documentation of immovable cultural heritage nationwide. They have contributed youthful energy and made significant contributions to accelerating the Dunhuang Academy's efforts to become a model for world heritage protection and a highland for Dunhuang studies.
Recently, the list of winners of the 28th China Youth May Fourth Medal was officially announced. The Dunhuang Academy's Cultural Heritage Digital Protection Team was awarded the "China Youth May Fourth Medal Collective." Team representatives traveled to Beijing to receive the award, demonstrating to the public how the team uses digital technology to make Dunhuang culture visible, audible, tangible, and perceptible, ensuring that the Mogao Caves remain "eternally young."
Source: Gansu Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau
05
Heritage Beyond Boundaries: Sino-French Academic Symposium on Heritage Conservation and Cultural Tourism for Sustainable Development – Dali Workshop
This symposium, hosted by Tongji University and co-organized by the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture People's Government, was held on May 24 in Dali, Yunnan Province. The symposium aimed to enable Chinese and French experts to understand Dali's cultural and natural heritage, exchange Sino-French concepts and practices in heritage conservation and cultural tourism, explore pathways for regional heritage conservation, rural revitalization, and urban regeneration, and establish a Tongji-Dali and Sino-French Dali cooperation framework for heritage conservation and cultural tourism.
Source: Built Heritage
Compiled by: Ma Lerong
Editors: Ma Lerong, Piao Lina
Reviewers: Li Guanghan, Wang Siyu
Final Review: Shen Ruiwen, Zhang Jianwei
