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Centre to protect historical heritage
By Lin Qi (Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-01 00:15
More advanced theories and international criteria will be introduced into the
protection of historical heritage, as the Research Centre for World Cultural
Heritage in China was founded this Wednesday in Beijing.
Located in the Beijing University of Technology, the research centre is the
first of its kind in China and has gained support from the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) among its other eight
counterparts, according to Professor Dai Jian, the executive president of the
research centre.
"Our further study will focus on how to adopt UNESCO's guidance and standards
to the evacuation, protection and management of heritage sites around China.
"The research centre will especially push forward its study on preservation
technologies, by making full use of resources of the Beijing University of
Technology." Dai said.
In the past few years, the university has accomplished research on preserving
and renovating historical sites in Beijing, under UNESCO's instructions.
"Our practice has brought us abundant experiences, and also a group of
outstanding professionals, which are of great importance to the research
centre," said Dai, who is also the deputy director of the School of Architecture
and Urban Planning of the university.
The research centre covers the evaluation and planning of cultural heritage,
popularizes preservation knowledge, and carries out training projects for
professionals in heritage protection as well as international exchanges.
China had 30 world heritage sites, which made it No 1 and No 3in Asia and the
world respectively, ever since the government ratified the World Heritage
Convention in 1985.
And that number has increased to 32 after two items, Kunqu opera and the art
of Guqin music, were admitted into the list of the oral and intangible heritage
of humanity in 2001 and 2003.
Yet China still faces a serious problem in world heritage protection work,
which is threatened by factors such as urbanization, population growth,
environmental exacerbation and disordered management, as experts pointed out.
These are also common problems for other countries with world heritage sites.
"China has done a lot in preserving its world heritage, and achieved obvious
progress in the last two decades," said Professor Azedine Beschaouch, the
president of the centre and the former president of the World Heritage
Committee.
China is expected to set a good example in the protection field, especially
for the third world, who are trying to balance economic development and heritage
preservation, Beschaouch said.
He also said that not just the heritage sites should be well preserved, but
that their surroundings need to be taken into consideration.
It is more comfortable to appreciate a green garden than just a single flower
surrounded by high buildings and mansions. Historical heritage is able to
coexist with modern civilization in harmony, Beschaouch said.
His advice on heritage protection has greatly inspired his colleague Dai
Jian.
"Our research centre is still at its beginning stage. We are aiming at
establishing the first research centre for world cultural heritage affiliated to
UNESCO in Asia in the next five to 10 years." Dai said.
UNESCO owns three such research centres in France, Italy and Belgium. Yet
there isn't one in Asiawhich contains a large number of world heritage sites,
Daisaid.
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