International Heritage News
01
The 8th International Academic Symposium of the East Asian Cultural Heritage Conservation Society Held in Sapporo, Japan
From August 10 to 13, the 8th International Academic Symposium of the East Asian Cultural Heritage Conservation Society was held at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan.
More than 360 cultural heritage conservation professionals from Japan, South Korea, China, Mongolia, and other countries gathered to conduct in-depth discussions on restoration materials and conservation technologies for wooden artifacts, paper artifacts, stone artifacts, metal artifacts, and textile artifacts.
A total of 137 representatives from over 60 Chinese universities and cultural heritage institutions attended the conference, sharing China’s latest achievements and experiences in cultural heritage conservation.
During the three-day conference, participants engaged in face-to-face discussions and exchanges on frontier topics such as cultural relic conservation and restoration, artifact inspection and analysis, and digital heritage technologies, jointly exploring East Asian approaches, technologies, and future directions for heritage conservation.
At the closing ceremony, organizers announced that the next conference will be held in China.
Source: Runwu Heritage
02
The 45th World Heritage Committee Session to Convene; 53 Nominated Sites to Be Reviewed
The 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from September 10 to 25, 2023.
This year’s session will review not only the nominations for 2023 but also unresolved matters from 2022. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre website, a total of 53 nominated sites will be reviewed, including 25 from last year and 28 from this year. Approved nominations will be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Of particular interest is China’s 2022 nomination, the Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er, which will be reviewed during this session. The project has already received a recommendation and is expected to become China’s newest World Heritage site in 2023.
Due to the pandemic, the field evaluations for Badain Jaran Desert – Towers of Sand and Lakes, submitted in 2020, and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II), submitted in 2022, were only completed in May and June 2023. Therefore, their reviews have been postponed until 2024.
Subsequent UNESCO documents also mention China’s new nomination project, Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital, which will undergo field inspections and a series of evaluations.
Source: World Heritage
03
SAH 76th International Conference on the History of Architecture to Be Held Online
The 76th International Conference of the Society of Architectural Historians will be held online from September 20–22, 2023.
Main topics include:
— What Is “Shared”? Architectural Heritage in Conflict
— New Medieval Studies: New Directions for Architectural Historians
— Implicit Choices and Uses: The History of Architectural Software
— Teaching Architectural History in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
— Humor in Modern Architecture
— Expanding the Scope of Architectural Journals
— Challenging Injustice in the Classroom: Teaching Difference
— On Belonging: Architecture and Property Law
Source: International Heritage Observation
04
East Asian Countries Promote “Intangible Cultural Heritage in Schools”
On August 10, 2023, nearly 100 teachers and stakeholders from East Asian countries participated in the webinar “Intangible Cultural Heritage in Schools.”
The webinar introduced key concepts and safeguarding principles of intangible cultural heritage, as well as practical steps for effectively integrating it into school life.
The event was jointly organized by the UNESCO Beijing Office and the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (ICHCAP).
Support was also provided by the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding, the UNESCO National Commission of Mongolia, and the UNESCO International Centre for Creativity and Sustainable Development.
Source: UNESCO
05
University of Oxford to Host Southern Hemisphere Endangered Cultural Heritage Symposium in November
The University of Oxford School of Archaeology will host an online symposium on endangered cultural heritage in the Southern Hemisphere on November 15.
The symposium theme is: “Reporting Heritage Destruction: A Double-Edged Sword?”
The symposium will examine different aspects of reporting heritage destruction, including its representation in mainstream media, social media, academia, and various communities.
Source: International Heritage Observation
Domestic Heritage News
01
International Forum on Cave Temple Conservation Held in Dazu, Chongqing
The Chinese Association for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage has actively responded in recent years to heritage conservation issues related to climate change.
In 2022, the association organized a special academic seminar themed “Heritage and Climate” for the International Day for Monuments and Sites, continuing discussions on concepts and experiences related to climate change response in China’s cultural heritage field.
In 2023, the association held another symposium on “Climate Change and Cultural Heritage,” focusing on heritage conservation and disaster prevention under climate change.
On August 19, the “International Forum on Cave Temple Conservation” opened in Dazu District, Chongqing.
The forum focused on the theme “Cave Temple Conservation Under Climate Change,” discussing opportunities and challenges, key scientific issues and technological advances, archaeological research and value exploration, monitoring systems, and risk management for cave temples.
As a national professional organization dedicated to heritage conservation, the association stated it will continue following international frontier heritage issues and promote exchanges and cooperation between domestic and international scholars.
Source: National Cultural Heritage Administration
02
12th Cross-Strait Cultural Heritage Conservation Forum Held in Yangzhou
On August 22, the 12th Cross-Strait Cultural Heritage Conservation Forum opened in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, under the theme “Underwater Archaeology: Exploration and Practice.”
Hu Bing, representative of the China Cultural Relics Exchange Association, stated in the opening speech that China, as both a maritime and continental civilization, possesses abundant underwater cultural heritage resources.
Protecting and preserving this heritage is important for promoting Chinese civilization and strengthening Chinese cultural soft power.
Shi Guolong, a cultural heritage expert from Taiwan, noted that the forum demonstrated the friendship and achievements of cross-strait heritage communities through learning, exchange, and collaboration.
He also discussed future trends in Taiwan regarding underwater archaeology museums, revisions to the Underwater Cultural Assets Preservation Act, regular monitoring mechanisms, and professional training.
Source: National Cultural Heritage Administration
03
Grand Canal (Beijing Section) Cultural Mapping Initiative Officially Launched
On August 10, 2023, the launch ceremony for the Grand Canal (Beijing Section) Cultural Mapping Initiative was successfully held online.
The event was jointly organized by WHITRAP-Beijing, the Peking University Public Archaeology and Art Center, and Beijing Weiming Wenbo Cultural Technology Co., Ltd..
Participants included Zhang Jianwei, Executive Deputy Director of WHITRAP-Beijing; Dr. Li Guanghan, Assistant Director; Wang Siyu, Director of the Peking University Public Archaeology and Art Center; and company representatives Zhang Jianshuo, Liu Luxiao, and Shi Xiaohan. Park Lina, project officer of WHITRAP-Beijing, hosted the ceremony.
The initiative aims to deepen public understanding of the history and cultural resources of the Grand Canal (Beijing Section), continue the canal’s historical legacy, and lay foundations for its living conservation and utilization.
The project received more than 100 valid applications. Ultimately, 65 research volunteers, 12 coordination and event volunteers, 19 publicity volunteers, 5 artistic representation volunteers, 3 IT volunteers, and 11 instructors were selected, totaling 115 participants.
Source: WHITRAP-Beijing
04
Doctoral Academic Forum | Heritage Display: The Next Decade of Museums
In 2022, the International Council of Museums officially announced a new definition of museums, clarifying the close relationship between museums and cultural heritage, while dividing cultural heritage into tangible and intangible heritage categories.
The new definition also clarified future development directions for museums worldwide over the next several years and decade.
This forum follows the latest academic trends and organizes young scholars to discuss museum development within World Heritage contexts, focusing on museum concepts and practices in collecting, displaying, and promoting cultural heritage.
The forum theme is “Museums in the Coming Decade: Heritage and Display,” and it invites submissions from outstanding doctoral students and young scholars.
Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
1.Museum practices and research in displaying and narrating cultural heritage domestically and internationally
2.Museum practices and research in collecting, displaying, and promoting intangible cultural heritage
3.Museum construction within heritage sites
Registration link:
Forum Registration Link
Abstract submissions closed on September 22.
Source: School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University
05
The Fifth Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau Secondary School Cultural Heritage Summer Program Held in Sichuan
From August 12 to 16, the Fifth Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau Secondary School Cultural Heritage Summer Program was held in Sichuan Province.
The event was organized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Development Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government, and the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government.
The program was hosted by the China Cultural Relics Exchange Association, the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, the Antiquities and Monuments Office of Hong Kong, and the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Macao SAR Government.
The program responded to President Xi Jinping’s call to “protect, inherit, and make good use of China’s outstanding traditional culture, and explore its rich connotations to strengthen cultural confidence and national spirit.”
The event aimed to promote cultural exchange among secondary school students from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, while enhancing confidence and cohesion in Chinese culture.
A total of 60 students from Sichuan, Hong Kong, and Macau participated.
Source: China Cultural Relics Exchange Association, Sohu
Compiled by: Lü Jiaxin
Editors: Lü Jiaxin, Park Lina
Reviewed by: Li Guanghan, Wang Siyu
Final Review: Shen Ruiwen, Zhang Jianwei
