Activities in China for the 2012 4.18 International Day for Monuments and Sites
1. April 10th—11th, 2012：“Wuxi Forum on Chinese Cultural Heritage Conservation——World Heritage：Sustainable Development”（Wuxi, Jiangsu province）
The annual Wuxi Forum on Chinese Cultural Heritage Conservation, organized by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) and Wuxi MunicipalPeople’s Government, and co-organizedby ICOMOS China, has been held with the theme of“World Heritage: Sustainable Development”. Some 100 participants from world cultural heritage sites in China and provincial cultural heritage administrations, as well as experts from international organizations, such asMr. Grellan Rourke, Chairman of ICCROM Council and Executive Committee Member of ICOMOS, Mr. Mounir Bouchenaki, Special Consultant of UNESCO, former DG of ICCROM and Mr. Guo Zhan, Vice President of ICOMOS, many leading Chinese experts, attended the forum.Presentations cover a wide array of themes including management, monitoring, heritage and economy, empowering local communities.The Forum was concluded with the adoption of Wuxi Proposal. Site visit were made before and after the Forum.
The Photo exhibition entitled Chinese World Heritage goes into Community was also concurrently held with the Forum.
2. April 16th, 2012: Celebration Ceremony of the International Day on Monuments and Sites held in Luoyang, Henan province.
The event was participated by Mr. Mounir Bouchenaki, Special Consultant of UNESCO, Mr. Guo Zhan, Vice president of ICOMOS, representatives from the provincial and municipal governments and local citizens. During the celebration, the three world cultural heritage sites in Henan were opened free of charge to the public or with reduced entrance fee, and the meaning of the International Day on Monuments and Sites is disseminated to the public through a series of activities.
3. April 18th, 2012: “Publicity Program on the Restoration Project of Pule Temple and the International Day on Monuments and Sites” (Chengde, a World Heritage site in Hebei province)
Supported by SACH, the provincial and municipalgovernments, more than 400 people, including representatives of the workers taking part in the restoration project and from all walks of life will attend the ceremony. And during the celebration, the local professionals will publicize the International Day on Monuments and Sites through radio, TV, free entrance of museum, etc.
4. April 21st—24th, 2012: International Seminar on Cultural Route Monitoring and Management（Xi’an, Shaanxi province）
Sponsored by SACH and organized by IICC-X, the seminar will be attended by ICOMOS experts from abroad, including Mr. Gustavo Araoz, the President of ICOMOS, as well as leading Chinese experts in the field. Through discussion between Chinese and foreign peers, the monitoring and management issues of cultural routes such as the Silk Road will be discussed. Representatives from the provincial cultural heritage administrations along the Chinese section of the Silk Road will also participate in the seminar. Visitation of sites of the Silk Roads at Xi’an will be held.
5. April 21st --22nd, 2012：“2012 Zhouzhuang and Tongli Forum: Sino-UK Cultural Heritage Conservation”（Zhouzhuang and Tongli, Jiangsu province）
During the Forum, senior experts from China and UK will make thorough communication on the two timely themes: Conservation of ancient villages and tourism development under cultural innovation, and Youth education on heritage conservation.
6. April 2012：Awarding ceremony of“2011-2012 World Heritage Animation Program”(Suzhou, Jiangsu province)
This program isco-organized by the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research—Asia and Pacific (Suzhou Center) and China Institute of Art and Science, to raise awareness of youth in the Asian-pacific region on world heritage.