In 2022, the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (hereinafter referred to as "the Convention") marks its 50th anniversary. On November 16, 1972, the 17th session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris adopted the Convention, which primarily defines cultural and natural heritage and stipulates measures for their national and international protection. The Convention aims to identify, protect, preserve, and transmit cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value to humanity.
The Convention is the first international instrument linking the protection of cultural and natural heritage. It has played a vital role in safeguarding and transmitting World Heritage and promoting sustainable development of heritage sites. To date, there are 194 States Parties and 1,154 World Heritage sites worldwide. China joined the Convention in 1985 and, as of 2022, has 56 World Heritage sites, ranking second globally in total number. On July 6, 2019, the Liangzhu Archaeological Site was inscribed on the World Heritage List.
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. 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.
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.
I. Live Stream of the First Lecture
On September 12, 2022, at 19:00, the first online lecture will be delivered by Professor Jiang Bo, Director of the Centre for Maritime Archaeology at Shandong University, kicking off the series celebrating the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention.
Topic: Archaeological Heritage in World Heritage
Speaker: Jiang Bo | Professor, Shandong University; Director, Centre for Maritime Archaeology
Moderator: Zhang Jianwei | Vice Dean, School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University; Executive Deputy Director, World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (Beijing), UNESCO
Time: September 12, 2022 (Monday), 19:00–21:00
Live Streaming Platforms: Liangzhu Museum Weibo, Liangzhu Ancient City (WeChat Video Channel)
About the Speaker
Jiang Bo is a professor at Shandong University and Director of the Centre for Maritime Archaeology. He also serves as Vice President of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and Vice President of ICOMOS-China. He is a leading figure in the National "Ten Thousand Talents Program" for philosophy and social sciences and a recipient of the State Council Special Government Allowance. His main research areas include maritime archaeology, world heritage, and capital city archaeology. His major publications include A Study of Ritual Architecture in Han-Tang Capitals, Archaeological Discoveries and Research on Ancient Chinese Capitals (co-author), Chinese Archaeology: Qin and Han Volumes (co-author), and *Archaeological Discoveries and Research in China (1949-2009)* (co-author). He has published papers such as "Ports, Shipwrecks, and Trade Goods: Archaeological Research on the Maritime Silk Road," "The Doulu Clan Lineage and Their Sinicization," and "Excavation Brief on the Garden Site of Shangyang Palace in the Eastern Capital of Tang."
Lecture Abstract
Among the UNESCO World Heritage List, there is a representative group of archaeological heritage sites. These are World Heritage sites "excavated" by archaeologists, and their value interpretation, site presentation, and architectural reconstruction offer unique case studies worthy of attention from the domestic academic community. This lecture will primarily introduce four World Heritage sites — the Acropolis of Athens, Pompeii, Yinxu, and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor — representing the precious heritage of Greek civilization, Roman civilization, China's Shang and Zhou dynasties, and the Qin-Han empires. Through these civilizations, we can glimpse the mirror images of Greek, Roman, and China's Zhou-Qin-Han-Tang civilizations, all of which hold significant value in the history of human civilization. As archaeological heritage sites, their concepts and technical approaches to presentation and reconstruction have unique characteristics distinct from other World Heritage types. Examples include the site exhibition at Pompeii, the reconstruction of the Acropolis of Athens, the two-dimensional virtual presentation at Yinxu, and the large-span site museum exhibition at the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor — all cases worthy of our attention.
II. Upcoming Online Lecture Guest Previews
Tang Jigen
Tang Jigen graduated with a bachelor's degree from Peking University and earned his Ph.D. from University College London (UCL). He is currently Chair Professor at the Center for Social Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology. He long directed the excavations at Yinxu, facilitated the successful inscription of Yinxu on the World Heritage List, and discovered and named the mid-Shang dynasty capital, Huanbei Shangcheng. He has served as principal investigator for multiple major and key projects funded by the National Social Science Fund of China.
He has published over 140 papers and more than ten books, including Collected Works on Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, Yinxu and Shang Culture, Yinxu: The Background of a Dynasty, The Truth Behind Cao Cao's Tomb (Chinese and Japanese editions), Selected Cultural Relics from Yinxu, Ninety Years of Archaeology at Yinxu: People and Events, Chinese Archaeology: Xia and Shang Volumes, Bronze Vessels and China's Bronze Age, and Archaeological Report on Eastern Henan.
He has received the First Prize of the Xia Nai Archaeology Award, the First Prize of the Guo Moruo Historical Studies Award, the Golden Tripod Award for Outstanding Scientific Research Achievements from the Archaeological Society of China, the Outstanding Social Science Achievement Award from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the Presidential Outstanding Achievement Award from Southern University of Science and Technology.
Francesco Bandarin
Francesco Bandarin is an architect and urban planner specializing in urban conservation. He holds degrees in Architecture (IUAV Venice) and Urban and Regional Planning (UC Berkeley). From 1980 to 2016, he was Professor of Urban Planning and Urban Conservation at the University of Venice (IUAV). From 2000 to 2010, he served as Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Secretary of the World Heritage Convention. From 2010 to 2018, he was UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Culture. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and a Senior Advisor to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
He serves on the boards of ICOMOS Italy, ICOM Italy, and the Fondazione per l’Economia della Cultura - Santa Tagata in Turin. He has chaired and served on numerous international juries and committees, including the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale, the Shenzhen Creative Design Award (SCDA), and the Getty Conservation Institute.
His recent publications include: The Historic Urban Landscape: Managing Heritage in an Urban Century (2012) and Reconnecting the City: The Historic Urban Landscape Approach and the Future of Urban Heritage (2015, co-authored with Ron van Oers, Wiley Blackwell). He also co-edited with Ana Pereira Roders a comprehensive volume on the historic urban landscape experience, Reshaping Urban Conservation, published by Springer in 2019.
Santiago Giraldo
Santiago Giraldo is an archaeologist with a Master's in Social Sciences and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Chicago. He is the Program Director for Colombia at the Global Heritage Fund (GHF), where he works on developing the Master Management Plan for the Teyuna Ciudad Perdida Archaeological Park in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of Colombia.
He works closely with relevant Colombian institutions, such as the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH), indigenous authorities, local farmer councils, and other organizations to design and implement projects. His responsibilities also include directing on-site mapping and conservation assessments.
Santiago has worked for the Colombian Institute of History as a research archaeologist, archaeology coordinator, and director of the Teyuna Ciudad Perdida Archaeological Park. Over the past decade, his work has focused on the research and conservation of the Pueblito archaeological site in Tayrona National Park and the Teyuna Perdida Archaeological Park. He is the author of the Guide to the Perdida City Archaeological Park.
III. Offline Academic Salon Preview
Theme: The Development and Future of Archaeological Sites
Date: September 24–25, 2022
Venue: Building 1, World Heritage Monitoring and Management Center, Liangzhu Ancient City Archaeological Site
September 24
9:00–9:30 Opening Ceremony
9:40–14:00 Keynote Speeches
14:00–18:00 Salon Presentations
September 25
9:00–11:00 Salon Discussions
11:00–12:00 Closing Ceremony
