Grand Canal (Beijing Section) Heritage Monitoring
Public Participation Activity
On September 5, 2022, the UNESCO World Heritage Training and Research Institute for the Asia and the Pacific Region (Beijing) (WHITRAP-Beijing) and Beijing Weiming Cultural Heritage Technology Co., Ltd. jointly launched the Grand Canal (Beijing Section) Heritage Monitoring Public Participation Program.
The main objective of this project is to develop and promote public participation in World Cultural Heritage monitoring, while supporting preventive conservation and research on cultural relics.
The activity received wide support and responses from the public, with a total of 96 applications submitted. Although the original plan was to recruit 18 volunteers, after careful review and thorough discussion, 29 volunteers were ultimately selected.
We sincerely thank everyone for their interest and support in the Grand Canal heritage monitoring project. We also thank all applicants and welcome continued engagement with WHITRAP-Beijing Center activities.
A total of 16 volunteers were recruited for the Tonghui River section in Beijing’s old city area, and 13 volunteers for the Tonghui River section in Tongzhou. The lists are as follows:
Tonghui River Beijing Old City Section (16 volunteers)
Name | Occupation |
Long Yan | Student |
Liu Zhaolong | Student |
Jin Anping | University professor |
Chen Hui | Real estate industry professional |
Liu Yuyang | Cultural heritage professional |
Liu Mingqian | University professor |
Zhang Lifan | Civil servant |
Yang Yinying | Heritage conservation professional |
Gao Shan | Architecture professional |
Li Hao | Architecture professional |
Shan Qi | Student |
Lu Tianyu | Student |
Wei Xintian | Student |
Zhou Zhizhen | Student |
Li Yan | Real estate industry professional |
Zhao Zinan | Student |
Tonghui River – Tongzhou Section (13 volunteers)
Name | Occupation |
Wang Manyu | Student |
Zhou Xiaoli | Urban planner |
Wang Changyue | Middle school teacher |
Wang Yupeng | Student |
Xi Yaqing | Cultural heritage professional |
Huang Yu | Architecture professional |
Cui Yanglin | Public institution employee |
Hu Fan | Nature conservation professional |
Shen Jian | Architecture professional |
Qiao Suting | Civil servant |
Zhang Jingyi | Middle school teacher |
Yu Jie | Middle school teacher |
A Runa | Student |
Based on a principle of balancing professionalism and diversity, the selection process carefully reviewed applicants’ backgrounds, with attention to maintaining a balanced composition of professionals, students, and local residents.
Participants include university professors in cultural heritage, museum professionals, staff from relevant international organizations, and architectural heritage conservation engineers.
Students come from multiple universities, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Minzu University of China, and Beijing Forestry University. Their academic backgrounds cover cultural heritage, architectural history, art and design, cultural relics and museology, landscape architecture, anthropology, archaeology, and related fields.
Volunteer Background Composition
Age Distribution of Volunteers
The volunteers are mainly aged between 20 and 40, with the oldest being 62 and the youngest 16. The project hopes that volunteers with diverse professional and life experiences will generate meaningful interaction and collaboration during the process.
Project Overview
The 2022 Grand Canal (Beijing Section) Heritage Monitoring Public Patrol Volunteer Program was jointly initiated by WHITRAP-Beijing and Beijing Weiming Cultural Heritage Technology Co., Ltd. It aims to promote public participation in World Heritage monitoring and support preventive conservation and research on cultural heritage.
The project covers two sections: the Tonghui River in Beijing’s old city area and the Tonghui River in Tongzhou.
The main tasks include regular on-site inspections of the Grand Canal and its surrounding environment. Volunteers use a mobile cultural heritage inspection app to photograph and document both the physical heritage and environmental conditions, and upload related monitoring data.
The project officially begins in October 2022 and is expected to conclude by the end of October next year. Patrols are scheduled every two months. Updates will continue to be released on public platforms. Interested participants are encouraged to follow the project.
We sincerely thank all teachers, students, and supporters of WHITRAP-Beijing.
