UNESCO and the politics of culture

[GeneChing]

This link just goes to a photo gallery. I kept the caption for some context.

Historical architecture of China's Songshan Mountain to bid for World Cultural Heritage
English.news.cn 2010-03-10 17:22:13 FeedbackPrintRSS
This undated file photo shows the Zhongyue Temple on the east Songshan Mountain in central China's Henan Province. China has chosen Songshan Mountain's historical architecture complex as the only project to bid for the World Cultural Heritage in 2010. The architecture complex is composed of 11 traditional Chinese constructions, including the renowned Shaolin Temple. (Xinhua/Wang Song)

I asked Abbot Yongxin about the progress on this for our upcoming Shaolin Special 2010. I always ask him about this.

[GeneChing]

And UNESCO blessed too. We got it. We finally got it.

China's Shaolin Temple Named to Unesco Cultural Heritage List
Sunday, August 1, 2010

Aug. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Shaolin temple, the Buddhist monastery that's also the birthplace of Chinese Kung Fu, has been added to the United Nation's list of World Heritage Sites.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization named historical monuments near Dengfeng city, including the Shaolin, to its list of heritage sites yesterday, according to a statement on the group's website.

Dengfeng is the 40th site in China to be added to the Unesco heritage list, which may help boost tourism to the city in Henan province. Local authorities had applied for the Unesco designation for nine years, Xinhua News Agency reported. China is also 'ready' to apply next year for West Lake in the eastern city of Hangzhou to be added, according to Xinhua.

The Dengfeng site in central China includes eight clusters of structures at the foot of the 1,500 meter-high Songshan mountain. In addition to Shaolin temple, the site also includes three Han Que gates, which are the remains of the oldest religious edifices in China, according to Unesco.

Unesco has named 910 locations to its World Heritage Sites list, which includes 704 cultural sites, 179 natural heritage sites and 27 mixed properties.

--Penny Peng in Beijing. Editors: John Liu, Eugene Tang.

NI.CHINA NI.FILM NI.BRIC NI EM NI GEN NI LEI NI CONS NI TRN

[GeneChing]

There's some great photos with this piece. Click the link.

The Center of Heaven and Earth
English.news.cn 2010-08-02 16:06:02

BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Shaolin Temple, the famed 1500-year-old cradle of Chinese Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism, is just one of the 11 ancient historical sites in Dengfeng of Henan Province added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites during its 34th session in Brazil Sunday morning (Beijing Time).

Also known as "The Center of Heaven and Earth," the collection of monuments is a kaliedescopic testimony to the history of the middle kingdom and its scientific, religious and cultural achievements, according to Lü Wei, the director of the World Heritage Office of Dengfeng.

"Dengfeng was considered the center of ancient China, and therefore it served as the capital and cultural center of many dynasties. Disciples of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism based here to advance their religious cultures. Because of this historical background and architectural significance of Dengfeng, we call it 'the center of Heaven and Earth,'" said Lü.

Among those listed is the Dengfeng Observatory, China's oldest and best preserved. Dating back to 13th century, the structure contains the remains of an astronomical observatory built in 1037 BC by the Duke of Zhou.

Other sites registered include the Songyang Academy (484 AD), the 1,500-year-old Pagoda of Songyue Temple as well as the country's oldest existing ritual structures; three pairs of towers (Taishi, Shaoshi, and Qimu) built during the Han Dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD)

"The historical monuments of Dengfeng have passed through so many dynasties. They have witnessed the architecture changes of middle China, have the longest history, are the most diversified in style and have the richest cultural significance," Lü added.

Since 2004, the Dengfeng government has been preparing their application for World Heritage status, and in the meantime carried out many protective measures, including site improvements and implementing a monitoring system as well as passing historical protection laws and regulations.

However, their first application attempt failed to qualify at the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee in 2009.

Xiao Li, an officer with the World Heritage Department of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH), attributes the failure to mis-communication between two government agencies who simultaneously applied to UNESCO, SACH and the Ministry of Construction, for the same site.

Along with SACH, the ministry this year submitted the Danxia Landform, a grouping of six geological sites in southeast China, for Natural Heritage status.

"Beginning in 2005, countries can only submit one cultural heritage site and one natural site a year," said Xiao.

According to Cathy Nolar, press officer of UNESCO, registration is just the beginning of the process, as the sites on the list are under constant review.

"After that, the country takes responsibility for safeguarding it for future generations. By submitting a site for inscription, a country gives UNESCO and the international community the right to keep an eye on safeguarding efforts, and to have a say on how well they are carried out," said Nolar.

"It is true that inscribing a site attracts more attention to it, and this can be a threat to preserving fragile environments. But this is part of sharing unique cultural and natural sites with the rest of the world. National and local authorities have to find the balance between preserving their unique treasures and making them accessible, and they can get advice on doing that from UNESCO World Heritage Centre experts," she added.

Abbot of Shaolin Temple, Shi Yongxin, said that while the UNESCO decision is a privilege, it adds pressure and responsibility.

"For the monks, living in a world-recognized heritage site is a wonderful experience, but at the same time, our responsibility to protect the temple becomes even graver." he said.

Shi also promised ticket prices for Shaolin temple will remain the same, adding that a higher profile of the Shaolin Temple will heighten the public's awareness to better protect the site.

"It will also make Chinese culture better understood by the world." Shi said.

China has listed 39 world heritage sites, including 28 cultural heritage sites, seven natural heritage sites and four cultural and natural heritage sites.

A total of 32 new properties were submitted to the World Heritage List this year: six natural, 24 cultural and two mixed (both natural and cultural), including four transnational nominations.

Also in the running for a UNESCO heritage listing is the Danxia Landform, a collection of six mountain areas in southern China.

Danxia, literally means "red cloud" in Chinese, refers to the red colored sandstone that characterize the many steep cliffs of the landform's mountains. Formed in the Mesozoic Era (about 240 to 138 million BC), Danxia is also home to rare dinosaur and plant fossils.

The Danxia Landform mountain areas nominated include Langshan and Wanfoshan (Hunan Province), Danxiashan (Guangdong Province), Taining and Guanzhoushan (Fujian Province), Long-hushan and Guifeng (Jiangxi Province), Fangyan and Jianglangshan (Zhejiang Province).

These areas "comprehensively reflect the unique natural features of China's Danxia geomorphology, highlighting its unique ecosystem, biodiversity, and exceptional natural beauty," according to the official UNESCO website.

"The application process is quite difficult, but Danxia has its unique value, which should be included in the world heritage list, "said Peng Hua, director of Danxia Landform and Tourism Development Research Society.

The local government has also made great efforts to protect its natural heritage, according to Huang Dawei, director of Danxiashan Park in Guangdong Province.

"We have invested 200 million yuan ($295,200) in the renovation and environmental protection, including relocating local residents to preserve the integrity of the landform," said Jiang Maoqiu, director of Taining Danxia World Heritage Office, "With the success of inscription, we may carry out further protection work with funding from the central and provincial government."

[GeneChing]

Shaolin Temple recognized as world cultural heritage
08:22, August 02, 2010

The home of Chinese kungfu and Zen Buddhism, China's Shaolin Temple is now part of humanity's cultural heritage.

Nestled in the Mount Songshan of Central China's Henan province, the historic architectural complex including the Shaolin Temple was added on Sunday to the UNESCO World Heritage List during a meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Brasilia, Brazil.

The new addition pushed China's world heritage sites to 39, including 28 cultural heritage sites, seven natural heritage sites and four cultural and natural heritage sites.

UNESCO said the historical architecture complex stands out for its great aesthetic beauty and its profound cultural connotations.

The complex is composed of 11 traditional structures, including the Shaolin Temple, the Observatory, Songyang Academy, Taishi Towers and Zhongyue Temple.

With a history of more than 2,000 years, these monuments feature various architectural styles brimming with ancient Chinese culture.

They provide the world with a glimpse into ancient Chinese religion, philosophy, customs and scientific development, said Yang Huancheng, an expert of ancient architecture.

Shaolin Temple's abbot Shi Yongxin said the UNESCO decision is a privilege, but it also adds pressure.

"For the monks, living in a world-recognized heritage site is a wonderful experience, but at the same time, our responsibility to protect the temple becomes even graver," he said.

Shi, however, said admission prices will not rise, and the temple would try to provide better service for domestic and foreign visitors.

Shi said a higher profile for the Shaolin Temple will heighten the public's awareness to protect the temple.

"I'm also looking forward to the addition of Shaolin kungfu into UNESCO's intangible heritage list," Shi added.

Local officials said they are getting prepared for more tourists from home and abroad.

"We've begun to organize tour guides learning to give introductions in English about the world heritage site, considering the increasing number of foreign visitors," Zhu Jianping, a senior official of Dengfeng tourist bureau, told China Daily on Sunday.

Zeng Jianshu, a local resident, said as more tourists come, his business will undoubtedly benefit, too.

Though many people hailed the news, there were also frowns with some expressing doubts about the benefits to the area.

One netizen surnamed Mu said the arrival of more tourists might lead to an over-commercialization of the site.

"Too many tourists will destroy the tranquility and the sublime beauty of the religious constructions," Mu said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Source: China Daily(By Chen Jia and Li Yuefeng)

The Xinhua article is the source, but this article has a nice pic of yesterday's party.

[GeneChing]

Here's the official UNESCO press release:

Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth”
China
Date of Inscription: 2010
Criteria: (iii)(vi)
Property : ha
Buffer zone: ha
N34 27 31.49 E113 4 3.79
Ref: 1305rev

Brief Description

Mount Songshang is considered to be the central sacred mountain of China. At the foot of this 1500 metre high mountain, close to the city of Dengfeng in Henan province and spread over a 40 square-kilometre circle, stand eight clusters of buildings and sites, including three Han Que gates - remains of the oldest religious edifices in China -, temples, the Zhougong Sundial Platform and the Dengfeng Observatory. Constructed over the course of nine dynasties, these buildings are reflections of different ways of perceiving the centre of heaven and earth and the power of the mountain as a centre for religious devotion. The historical monuments of Dengfeng include some of the best examples of ancient Chinese buildings devoted to ritual, science, technology and education.

Price-gouging threatens to spoil cultural heritage
* Source: Global Times
* [00:29 August 03 2010]

The ancient Chinese architectural style of tiandi zhizhong ("between the Earth and sky") has been listed by UNESCO as a unique part of World Cultural Heritage at a meeting Sunday. Eleven Chinese locations, including the Shaolin Temple in Henan, have been listed as World Cultural Heritage sites.

Meanwhile, another relevant report affords much food for thought. The Shaolin Temple has declared that it will not raise the entrance fee for the moment. This wording is rich in meaning: It cleverly avoids touching the sensitive topic of raising entrance fees at the very moment when the temple has been chosen as a world heritage site, but it leaves room to raise prices in the future.

A greater share of responsibility means making the Shaolin culture and the religion accessible to the whole of society, and offering chances to everyone to be close to this cultural heritage.

It doesn't mean setting up kung fu schools, giving performances and raising ticket fees while shutting out the general public.

The value of the World Cultural Heritage status means that everyone is entitled to the chance to experience this culture.

However, excessive commercialization limits this to only a selected few. Only those who can afford high ticket fees can experience the cultural heritage, and the poor are excluded. Many cultural locations abroad are open to tourists for free, and if they do charge, the fees are small. But in China many cultural tourism resources have become cash cows for some people or departments, who keep raising prices with flimsy excuses.

Let's hope the Shaolin Temple won't become a tourist trap, and that ordinary people like us can have a chance to share in it rather than being shut out by extortionate ticket prices.

The Beijing News

This is silly on so many levels. Tourism has always been part of Shaolin Temple. There's records of the tourist impact on Shaolin that go back to the 16th century. And are there are no tourists at other UNESCO World Heritage sites? No tourists at the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors in Xian? What about our U.S sites - the Statue of Liberty, Yosemite, Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon? No tourists being gouged at any of these places.

[David Jamieson]

lol. "let's hope shaolin temple doesn't become a tourist trap..."

That is laughable. It's already a tourist trap and has been one in modern time since Jet Li's movie in '81 revitalized and resparked interest the whole place.

It was pretty quiet there for a long time, but as Gene has said, pretty much any heritage place becomes a tourist trap and the price to get in goes up with that.

Unesco partners with companies and concerns in order to up the cache value of otherwise dilapidated buildings. But it also helps to save some heritage buildings from the wrecking ball and it also gives this status to buildings that are hardly in danger of not being recognized as historically important anyway.

[GeneChing]

China works to establish more UNESCO sites top get more international face. Chinese complain it'll raise ticket prices. News flash for China - international attention will raise prices across the board.

Tourists pay higher entrance fees for UNESCO heritage sites
English.news.cn 2010-08-06 09:48:35

BEIJING, Aug. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Wang Ye, a 27-year-old Beijinger, ordered flight tickets and hotel reservations on Thursday for her coming vacation destination - the China Danxia Landform, recently named a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"I moved my plans for Danxia two months ahead", she told China Daily, as "prices and the numbers of tourists might increase soon."

Indeed, in recent months, she noted, ticket prices have "skyrocketed" at other newly named UNESCO sites.

She pointed to entrance fees at Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan province, which had increased from 108 yuan ($16) to 220 yuan, as just one example.

Some say it is worth the price. "The first-class scenery deserves first-class prices," Huang Dawei, director of the management committee of Danxia Mountain, was quoted by a Guangzhou-based Information Times as saying on Thursday.

"The cost will increase regarding a series of protection actions," he added.

The ticket price for Danxia Mountain is now 100 yuan for an adult, and 120 yuan on holidays - 50 percent less than the price in some World Cultural Heritage in China, Huang said.

Huang added that discounts for local residents could be available in the future, although he declined to offer further details.

Nestled in the Songshan Mountain of Central China's Henan province, the historic architectural complex of the Shaolin Temple was also added to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list on Saturday.

The ticket price of Shaolin Temple, the home of Chinese kungfu and Zen Buddhism, will remain the same, according to a local official.

Shaolin Temple's abbot Shi Yongxin confirmed the news by saying the temple had no plan to raise admission fees.

"Bidding for World Heritage has nothing to do with commercial interests. We would not raise the ticket price," said Qian Daliang, general manager of the Intellectual Property and Intangible Assets Management Center of Shaolin Temple, days before the bid succeeded.

Many tourists, however, say local officials are exploiting their ability to impose increased entrance fees for their own benefit.

For example, officials in the ancient town of Lijiang in Yunnan province, named a world heritage site in 1997, put up roadblocks to ensure tourists paid a "protection" fee for visiting the popular site last year.

Since 2001, the town's protection bureau has been collecting a so-called "ancient town maintenance fee" from tourists. Still, many are finding ways to avoid producing the 80 yuan.

[GeneChing]

China limits tourist numbers to protect World Cultural Heritage site in central province
English.news.cn 2010-08-20 15:52:40

ZHENGZHOU, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Local cultural heritage officials in central China's Henan Province said Friday they will limit tourist numbers during peak travel times to better protect the World Cultural Heritage-listed Historic Monuments of Dengfeng.

"We have taken measures to restrict the number of tourists and the burning of incense," said Gong Songtao, deputy director of the administration of cultural heritage in Dengfeng City.

Nestled in the Songshan Mountains, the "Center of Heaven and Earth" is composed of eight clusters of 11 buildings and sites, including the Shaolin Monastery, the Three Han Que Gates, the Observatory, the Songyang Academy and the Songyue Pagoda.

"Carbon dioxide and humidity levels are also being strictly monitored since high concentrations of those chemicals may damage the structures," said Gong.

"Tourists will be encouraged to visit other sites when the numbers at one site approach their limit," said Gong.

The Three Han Que Gates and the Ancestor's Monastery will remain closed to ordinary tourists as they have been for the last six decades, added Gong.

"Que," located at the side of a road, is an entry sign to a city, palace, temple, pass or tomb.

The Three Han Que Gates, made of stone and adorned with calligraphy and carvings, can be dated back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D.).

The Historic Monuments of Dengfeng were added to the World Cultural Heritage List during the 34th session of the World Heritage Committee on Aug.1 in Brasilia, Brazil.

UNESCO said the monuments stand out for their great aesthetic beauty and their profound cultural importance.

I'm not sure that the burning of incense significantly adds to the smog.

[GeneChing]

Beaten to the punch by Taekkyon? Say it isn't so.

Taekkyon, Tightrope-Walking to Be Listed as World Cultural Heritage

The traditional Korean martial art of taekkyon has remained hidden from the outside world for centuries while Chinese kung fu has risen to international prominence. But all this may be set to change.

DreamWorks' Animation's recent hit "Kung Fu Panda" and its sequel highlight the enduring appeal of Asian martial arts in the West. But while over 20 movie titles on the U.S. Internet Movie Data Base's website contain the word "kung fu," none make reference to taekkyon.

However, the acrobatic fighting form, which more closely resembles kung fu than its better-known siblings taekwondo and hapkido, is attracting more publicity as it looks set to be registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Cultural Heritage Administration said during a meeting of UNESCO delegates in Bali, Indonesia, that taekkyon and Korean tightrope walking were both recommended for registration by a UNESCO subcommittee, and were set to be included on the official list on Monday.

This would make taekkyon the first martial art to join the coveted list. Resembling the fluid movements of dancing, it involves kicks and other moves to knock down the opponent. There are around 50 official masters of the martial art, which is governed by the Korea Taekkyon Federation.

Just prior to the UNESCO meeting on Sunday, China voluntarily withdrew Shaolin kung fu from the list of candidates seeking to be registered. China has tried for years to list the martial art as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity but has come unstuck for failing to provide sufficient information to support its bid. The country needs to submit more specific data about the standards and procedures taken to register it as a piece of cultural heritage, according to UNESCO's preliminary report.

"It looks like China will try to apply again next year after it provides additional information, as it will not be able to seek registration for another four years if it fails the main round of evaluations," said a CHA spokesperson.

Korea has 13 items on the UNESCO list, starting with the Royal Ancestral Ritual at the Jongmyo Shrine and its Music, which was registered in 2001. This was followed by the Pansori Epic Chant (2003) and the Gangneung Danoje Festival (2005).

In 2009, it added its Ganggangsullae Dance, Namsadang Nori Performance, Yeongsanjae Buddhist Ritual, Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut Shaman Ritual, and Cheoyongmu Dance to the list.

Korean traditional wooden architectural craftsmanship (daemokjang), songs based on traditional poetry from the Chosun era (gagok) and falcon hunting have also been included.

[David Jamieson]

Are they F&^%$ing kidding?

Taekkyon? No offense but what the F&*% is Taekkyon?

And needs more evidence of cultural heritage for shaolin?

REALLY?

that's retarded.

[GeneChing]

Cultural Heritage Day in Zhengzhou
Updated: 2012-06-11 13:16
By Liu Xiangrui ( chinadaily.com.cn)

Zhengzhou, capital of history-rich Henan province, celebrated the 7th National Cultural Heritage Day, which fell on Saturday, with a series of carefully arranged events.

As the host city of this year's celebration, Zhengzhou demonstrated its efforts and achievements in protecting its substantial cultural heritage over past years.

Henan province is believed to be one of the most important cradles of Chinese civilization. Zhengzhou boasts a great number of relics.

For example, the group of ancient buildings in Songshan Mountain, which is located in Dengfeng, Zhengzhou, was listed as a world heritage site in its entirety at the 34th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2010.

The buildings, including the famous Shaolin Temple and historical Songyue Academy, are named Center of the Universe Building Ensemble.

The buildings reveal mysteries about ancient Chinese astronomy, the calendar system and religion and are representative of ancient Chinese architectural arts and ideology.

Hundreds of people from different groups were invited to explore the secrets of the ancient buildings ensemble on Friday and Saturday, which was an important part of the local government's efforts to cultivate its citizens' passion for heritage.

Experts were also invited to talk about the value of the relics by discussing their history and details about the buildings.

Besides other activities such as exhibitions held to arouse citizens' awareness of cultural heritage protection, Zhengzhou launched several major heritage protection projects, including the construction of a museum of the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC) capital ruins and renovation of the Shaolin Temple's pagodas.

The unveiling of the Monitoring Center for the Center of the Universe Ancient Building Ensemble was believed by experts to be very meaningful because it shows the city's determination to protect its cultural heritage and sets an example to other regional governments.

The monitoring center's work will focus on the permanent protection of the buildings themselves and their subordinate structures, with regular monitoring based on apparatus, in combination with onsite inspections.

Factors affecting the protection and potential safety threats will be overseen with the launching of the center, the local heritage administration bureau officials said.

The persistent promotion and related activities in past years have greatly enhanced society's attention and awareness of of cultural heritage protection, said Dong Baohua, deputy head of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, at the opening ceremony of Saturday's celebration.

"A new protection system based on governmental work facilitated by all of society's active participation has been gradually formed," Dong said. "The general social environment for heritage protection is improving constantly."

I just posted on the Pagoda Forest on our Economic State of Shaolin Temple today thread

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting Pic of the Day
2 hours ago

THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS take part in a mass choreographed kung fu performance in Zhenzhou, Henan, China.

[GeneChing]

Once again, Shaolin leads the pack.

Henan Special: Henan invests heavily in cultural heritages
Updated: 2012-12-27 08:01
By Shi Baoyin ( China Daily)

With support from the local and national government, great progress has been made in efforts to protect the wealth of cultural heritage sites in Henan province, one of the places where Chinese civilization first originated, a senior official said.

Chen Ailan, director of the Henan Administration of Cultural Heritage, said that officials are doing everything possible to ensure the protection of world cultural heritages in Henan as part of nationwide efforts to promote Chinese culture.

With support of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the province has successfully applied to have several of its sites added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the Longmen Grottoes, Anyang's ruins from the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century -11th century BC), and the historic monuments in Dengfeng known as "The Center of Heaven and Earth", Chen said.

To strengthen the province's reputation as a home for historical sites, local leaders also plan to apply to UNESCO for the addition of the Grand Canal and the Silk Road, vital transportation channels in ancient China, she said.

A total of 41 cultural heritage sites are located along Henan section of the Grand Canal, Chen said, adding that conservation efforts in the southern part of the Grand Canal cover the remains of river ways, headwaters, docks, irrigation projects as well as historical and cultural relics in towns and cities along the river.

With a mild climate and a pleasant environment, the province covers an area of 167,000 square kilometers. More than 65,519 historical sites are located in Henan, including such famous ancient structures as the Shaolin Temple and the Old Residence of Du Fu, a renowned poet in Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), as well as Songyang Academy, one of the famed education institutions in the Chinese history.

As the political center of ancient China, Henan was also home to half of the nation's ancient capitals, including Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Anyang and Kaifeng.

Many ancient emperors were buried in Henan, creating vast complexes of graves that form unique cultural tourism sites, such as the Emperors Tombs of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC) and the Emperors Tombs of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

"The process of applying to be on the World Heritage List is really an arduous task, and we are making great efforts to work on it through legislation, management and conservation," said Chen, adding that laws and regulations have been formulated to protect and standardize the application for each project.

She said that the local government has also invited a group of experts and specialists from China and abroad to carry out scientific management plans to ensure the sustainable growth of the province's cultural legacies.

"Those professionals are conducting scientific research on the characteristics of different cultural heritages to offer suitable protection measures for each site," Chen said.

She also noted that maintenance proposals are made through surveys and studies on the underground historical ruins and architectures above the ground, which from her perspective is "the basis for the protection and consolidation of cultural heritages".

"Beautifying and restoring the surrounding environment is also very important," she said. "For instance, we have to remove or demolish the unmatched landmarks close to the targeted heritage to make it look more natural," Chen said.

She added that the local government has also made great efforts to publicize the world heritages sites to raise people's awareness to protect those national treasures.

In the future, Chen said that the province will continue to be committed to the protection of heritage sites.

"The first step is to strengthen the enforcement of relevant laws and regulations, and we will be dedicated to protect the cultural heritage sites," said Chen.

She said that in July this year, the provincial government implemented a newly established policy named Shang Dynasty Ruins Protection, which gave guidelines on the overall development of heritage sites and enlarged the protected area of the Anyang ruins.

Chen also noted that construction of protection and research bases at world cultural heritage sites is the province's top priority, which will "not only accelerate the cultural heritage industries in Henan, but also help improve the capability to protect culture heritages of the same kind".

In September, the organizing committee of the World Culture Heritage Protection Forum, which was held in the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, invited some 20 reputable experts and specialists to discuss proposals for building such research bases.

"We are already making preliminary plans for the construction work despite the unpredictable problems ahead," Chen said.

Over the past years, the province has cooperated with many cultural museums in foreign countries, including the United States, Canada and Japan, and it will continue to deepen partnerships with those cultural institutions through academic exchange and research.

[GeneChing]

Was it worth it?

Warning over commercialising heritage sites
Analysts say preservation should always come before economic gain
Tuesday, 01 January, 2013, 12:00am
Raymond Li raymond.li@scmp.com


A bird's eye view of remains of the palace at Xanadu, which was the summer capital for Yuan dynasty ruler Kublai Khan. Photo: Unesco

China is the only country to have had at least one site inscribed into Unesco's World Heritage List each year over the past decade, but analysts warn that an official obsession with such listings for economic gain could compromise the nation's heritage conservation efforts.

China ranks third in the world, with 43 natural and cultural world heritage sites. Italy heads the list with 47 sites, followed by Spain with 44.

The site of Xanadu, the remains of the summer capital of Yuan dynasty ruler Kublai Khan, north of the Great Wall, was inscribed into the World Heritage List in June, becoming China's 43rd such site.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage said last month that more than 500 heritage protection laws and regulations had been enacted, underscoring its conservation efforts, particularly over the past decade.

The director of Nanjing University's Cultural and Natural Heritage Research Institute, Professor He Yunao , attributed the large number of Chinese sites on the list to the country's abundant heritage resources as a major Eastern civilisation.

He said central and regional governments' enormous interest in the list was a result of globalisation, because every city longed for some branding vehicles to boost its international profile.

"The nurturing of a commercially successful, world-class brand is both time-consuming and very costly," he said. "It's very tempting if they realise they can achieve that goal by turning some of the treasures their ancestors left behind into a world heritage site."

The impoverished Henan city of Dengfeng triggered a heated debate two years ago when it was reported to have spent a total of 790 million yuan (HK$982.5 million) in a successful bid for world heritage status for "the Centre of Heaven and Earth", a cluster of historic temples and gates including the famed Shaolin Temple.

In November, the state administration unveiled a list of 45 sites for nomination for world heritage status from next year on.

Professor He said these sites were all of great heritage value, but it could take decades for them to be nominated and much longer to be inscribed because in recent years China had usually presented only two sites, one cultural and one natural, for evaluation each year.

The evaluations are carried out by two Unesco bodies, the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union.

He Shuzhong , founder of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Centre, a conservation advocacy group, said world heritage meant better protection for such sites as a result of international collaboration in conservation efforts.

But he said local authorities were often too carried away by the publicity and commercial implications of a prospective world heritage site and overlooked their responsibility for its protection.

"A lot of local governments in China have turned these sites into five-star or six-star tourist destinations or into high-end resorts," he said.

A decision by management at Slender West Lake, in the Jiangsu city of Yangzhou , to double admission fees to 150 yuan during this year's Labour Day holiday triggered a national outcry over pricey fees charged at mainland heritage sites.

Slender West Lake was included in a tentative list by China for world heritage nomination in 2008.

Admission fees for Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) in Anhui , which was inscribed into the World Heritage List in 1990, have nearly tripled to 230 yuan since 2002, to great public dismay.

Professor He, who took part in the successful bid for world heritage status for the Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in 2000, said a successful bid would certainly bring a lot of benefits for local governments, but preservation should always come first.

The state administration, citing a national survey of cultural relics, said 44,000 of the 766,700 immovable cultural relics on record had been lost, largely due to development, since 1985.

[r.(shaolin)]

I have to chuckle in re-reading this post which I wrote 8 years ago. I had the 'cultural thing' way out of proportion, this thing never was about culture it was, and is about money.
r.

After a high-profile PR campaign by Shi Yongxin to have Shaolin Kung Fu be
put on UNESCO's intangible heritage list the PRC has decided to hold off.
My guess is that the trademark issue has hit a few nerves and could potentionally create some negative waves internationally for the PRC.

http://english.sina.com/china/1/2005/0428/29336.html

What does "safeguarding" intangible cultural heritage mean?
Although there are many good intentions with this initiative, when you boil it down and get below the platitudes and motherhood statements, it is about political control of culture. This so called "safeguarding" is simply a tool for international legal control of culture by governments. You can be sure that the PRC will identify and define the various elements of "Shaolin kung-fu." This has to do with the adoption of legal measures aimed at groups that PRC/Shi Yongxin feels undermines his objectives in both national and international arenas. Consider the following which appeared in the Sun Shangwu (China Daily).

"He (Shi Yongxin) says more effort from the government is needed to put Shaolin kung fu on the UNESCO list.

He (Shi Yongxin) has submitted a proposal to the NPC session, asking the country's top legislature to consider a special law to protect (Shaolin Kungfu) ... ."

"Controversially, he also established a company (Henan Shaolin Temple Industrial Development Ltd. Co.) to protect intellectual property rights and prevent the abuse of the name Shaolin by companies seeking easy profits."

"Unsurprisingly, Shi (Shi Yongxin), . . .will not rest even if he gets UNESCO status or is handed a national culture-protection law."

He says he is willing to walk the earth to promote, (read this as, getting control of) Shaolin kung fu."

This is not about the use of the word 'Shaolin'for selling sausages etc. but rather about using the word "Shaolin" in reference to martial arts training. In the USA, as in most other countries in the world, the word "Shaolin" has already been trademarked for all products and services by Shi Yongxin. What he has not trademarked in the US, and Canada for that matter, is the exclusive use of Shaolin in relationship to martial arts training. I suspect the UNESCO list was to be the lever with which he planned to accomplish that. In Europe the trademark already includes martial arts training, but I believe this aspect of the Shaolin trademark in Europe can be still challenged successfully.

r.

[mickey]

Greetings,

r.,

I had the opportunity to view movies from Mainland China that dated back to the mid to late 1980's. The Buddhist monks were depicted, to put it politely, the worst element of society that you can imagine.

mickey