International Heritage News
01
UNESCO European Heritage Days
On the occasion of the European Heritage Days, UNESCO will open its doors to the public on September 17 and 18. The open house events will be held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention and will feature a unique exhibition by contemporary painter Sacha Jafri.
Main activities during the open house include:
·Museum tour exploring UNESCO's 600-piece collection
·UNESCO Heritage Lab: Exploring technologies that make heritage fun through bold experiments by major cultural organizations
·Heritage Lectures: Debates with UNESCO experts, civil society representatives, and heritage actors on heritage-related themes
·Children's Activities: Kapla World Heritage miniature architecture, treasure hunts, animated series workshops
·UNESCO Treasure Hunt
Source: www.unesco.org
02
Pakistan Floods: UNESCO Provides $350,000 for Heritage Recovery
On September 8, during a three-day visit by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to Pakistan, UNESCO announced the emergency mobilization of 350,000tohelpthecountryrestoreculturalheritagesitesdamagedbyfloods.350,000tohelpthecountryrestoreculturalheritagesitesdamagedbyfloods.150,000 from the World Heritage Fund will support recovery and preventive measures at the World Heritage sites of Mohenjo Daro and Makli, including long-term solutions to mitigate natural disaster impacts; $200,000 from the Heritage Emergency Fund will go toward cultural heritage, cultural practices, and endangered intangible cultural heritage elements in Balochistan, Swat, and Larkana.
Since June this year, unprecedented severe monsoon rains have struck Pakistan, causing widespread flooding and landslides across 72 districts. The floods have damaged numerous cultural heritage sites, including the UNESCO World Heritage sites "Archaeological Ruins at Mohenjo Daro" and "Historical Monuments at Makli."
Source: www.unesco.org
03
ICOMOS White Paper: Intangible Cultural Heritage, Diverse Knowledge Systems, and Climate Change
On September 13, ICOMOS released the White Paper "Intangible Cultural Heritage, Diverse Knowledge Systems, and Climate Change." In response to the international community's insufficient understanding of the many connections between societal and cultural activities and human-caused climate change, the White Paper emphasizes the role of culture and heritage in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The White Paper notes that the importance of utilizing different ways of knowing to address complex global issues such as climate change has been widely recognized. Recent research highlights the diversity within and between indigenous, local, and scientific knowledge systems. These knowledge systems encompass both intangible elements (language, concepts, beliefs, values, worldviews, spirituality) and tangible elements (objects, buildings, landscapes, organisms, etc.). They all recognize the importance of current and future actions to address climate change, and cooperation built on mutual respect will help enhance the effectiveness of climate action.
Source: www.icomos.org; International Heritage Watch
04
ICOMOS Germany Online Seminar: Climate Science and Heritage – The German Challenge
On September 15, the ICOMOS German National Committee held an online seminar: "Climate Science and Heritage – The German Challenge." This seminar served as a follow-up to the December 2021 UNESCO-ICOMOS-IPCC international expert meeting, inviting experts from the fields of climate and cultural heritage to discuss three research areas concerning cultural heritage and climate change: knowledge systems, impacts, and response strategies. Jyoti Hosagrahar, Deputy Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and Teresa Patrício, President of ICOMOS, delivered opening remarks.
Source: www.icomos.org
05
International Council of Museums Publishes Dictionary of Museology (French Edition)
On September 7, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) published the French edition of the Dictionary of Museology. The result of years of research by numerous international experts, the dictionary covers all aspects of the museum profession and research — exhibitions, research methods, collection management and conservation/restoration, museum education and communication, management/marketing, museum history, and critical analysis. It includes more than 1,200 entries across seven themes — from academic terminology (e.g., intangible cultural heritage) to cutting-edge vocabulary (e.g., NFT). The English edition will be published in December this year.
Source: icom.museum
06
Rebirth After Terrorist Attack: World Heritage Site of Hatra Opens to Visitors
On September 3, the World Heritage site of Hatra opened for tours. Hatra is located in Nineveh Governorate, Iraq, 290 km northwest of Baghdad and 110 km southwest of Mosul. Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1985, the city was violently occupied by ISIS in 2015, with extremist militants using explosives and bulldozers to extensively damage the site. Subsequently, Iraqi experts, in cooperation with the Italian International Institute for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (ISMEO), carried out restoration work. The first phase of restoration at Hatra was completed in February 2022. In September 2022, the Mosul Heritage House, a private museum in Mosul, launched a Hatra tour project to aid the recovery and development of tourism in the region.
Source: International Heritage Watch
Domestic Heritage News
01
"Imprints of Civilization – Dunhuang Art Exhibition" Opens in Beijing
On August 30, the "Imprints of Civilization – Dunhuang Art Exhibition," hosted by the Dunhuang Academy and the Beijing Minsheng Art Museum, opened in Beijing. The exhibition is organized around three themes: "Classic Dunhuang Art," "Library Cave Special Section," and "Dunhuang Artistic Techniques and Spirit Since 1940." It features 8 replica caves and over 280 groups/pieces of artifacts, replicas, and works by modern and contemporary artists, recreating the immortal charm of cave art and showcasing the breadth and depth of Dunhuang Studies. The exhibition opened to the public on August 30 and will run until February 28, 2023.
Source: National Cultural Heritage Administration
02
World Heritage Site Pingyao Ancient City Explores County-University Cooperation Model for Heritage Protection
On September 14, several institutions within the World Heritage site of Pingyao Ancient City held a county-university cooperation signing ceremony with Tongji University and other universities, with three bases receiving official designations. At the signing ceremony, Pingyao County signed a cooperation agreement with Tongji University on ancient city protection and inheritance; Pingyao Huagu Sketching Study Tour Culture Co., Ltd. signed an agreement with the Art College of Taiyuan University of Technology to establish a sketching practice teaching base; Shanxi Pingyao Huaxing Motor Casting Co., Ltd. signed an industry-academia-research cooperation agreement with Taiyuan University of Science and Technology; and Pingyao Tongmiao Locomotive Co., Ltd. signed an industry-academia-research cooperation agreement with Taiyuan University of Science and Technology. To date, Pingyao County has cooperated with 24 universities, including Tsinghua University and Zhejiang University, signing and inaugurating 32 bases and implementing 33 cooperation projects, serving as the "intellectual engine" driving the high-quality development of the county's economy and society.
Source: China News Network
03
Annual Archaeology Exhibition: "A Sky Full of Stars – Exhibition of China's Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries of the Past Century" Opens in Zhengzhou
Exhibition Period: September 1 – November 30, 2022
Exhibition Venue: A Sky Full of Stars Exhibition Hall, 3rd Floor, Zhengzhou Museum (Wenhan Street Branch)
This exhibition takes the "Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries of the Past Century" as its main thread, showcasing representative artifacts unearthed from 100 archaeological discoveries over the past century in China, presenting the development process and brilliant achievements of Chinese archaeology. The 100 archaeological discoveries selected hold important positions and significance in the history of Chinese archaeology, including 5 Paleolithic sites, 33 Neolithic sites, 25 sites from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, and 37 sites from the Qin and Han dynasties and later periods. The exhibition features representative artifacts from the 2021 national "Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries of the Past Century," including Yinxu (Anyang), Chengziya (Zhangqiu), Sanxingdui (Guanghan), Liangzhu (Hangzhou), Erlitou (Yanshi), Hongshan (Chifeng), Shuanghuaishu (Gongyi), and Mawangdui (Changsha). A total of 889 pieces/groups of artifacts are on display, collected from 79 archaeological and museum institutions across the country, including 115 Grade I artifacts, 107 Grade II artifacts, and 116 Grade III artifacts.
Source: National Cultural Heritage Administration
04
Dunhuang Academy Releases First Public-Welfare NFT, Exploring Digital Protection of Millennium Heritage
The Dunhuang Academy and Tencent are releasing the first public-welfare NFT in the museum sector. This NFT collection vividly presents details of the murals "General Zhang Yichao Leading His Army on an Expedition" and "Procession of Lady Song, Wife of the He'nan Prefect" and, for the first time, allows users to view a panorama of Cave 156 of the Mogao Grottoes online. Using blockchain technology supported by Tencent Cloud's Zhixin Chain, the NFT transforms the sharing of traditional cultural content into digital assets that are officially recorded, collectible, and traceable. It serves both cultural dissemination and protection functions, truly giving users a unique digital gift.
Source: Museum Channel
05
"2022 Series Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention — The Development and Future of Archaeological Sites"
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (Beijing) under UNESCO and the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University are organizing a series of events marking the 50th anniversary of the Convention. These events aim to explore how World Heritage sites can meet the challenges of today's complex global social landscape and discuss the future of World Heritage with colleagues from various fields.
Starting September 12, the Liangzhu Lecture Series 2022 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention — "The Development and Future of Archaeological Sites" — will be launched successively. The event is divided into two parts: online lectures and offline salons, spanning nearly a month. Domestic and international experts will be invited to discuss the protection, management, and construction of archaeological sites, and to share their thoughts on the development and future of archaeological sites. This event is co-organized by the Hangzhou Liangzhu Archaeological Site Management Area Administrative Committee, the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (Beijing) under UNESCO (WHITRAP-Beijing), and the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University; hosted by the Liangzhu Museum (Liangzhu Research Institute) and the Peking University Public Archaeology and Art Center; co-organized by the Peking University Center for Cultural Heritage Research; and supported by the Liangzhu Culture Protection and Research Foundation.
Source: Peking University Cultural Heritage Research
