The 2nd Council Meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia Held in Qingdao, Shandong Province

/EIN News/ -- QINGDAO, China, June 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2nd Council Meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia was held in Qingdao, Shandong Province on June 19. During the meeting, the proposed amendments to the Charter of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia were approved, officially transitioning the alliance from an international cooperation mechanism for cultural heritage to an intergovernmental international organization. It is the first regional intergovernmental organization in the field of cultural heritage initiated and led by China. The meeting welcomed Uzbekistan and Maldives as new member countries and Honduras as the first partner country, bringing the total number of member countries, observer countries, and partner countries to 20.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

Mr. Li Qun, Chairman of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, and Director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, expressed China's active participation in promoting global civilization initiatives, expanding the alliance's network, advocating for the alliance, advancing integration with relevant international organizations and cooperation mechanisms, enlarging the alliance's partners, proceeding pragmatic cooperation projects in the cultural heritage field with Asian countries, developing talent pool, and launching training programs together with international organizations such as the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property.

The meeting reviewed the implementation of the alliance's work plan for 2023-2024 and discussed the work plan for 2024-2025, announcing funding for 15 Asian cultural heritage conservation projects in 2023 across countries such as Iran, Syria, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates.

During the meeting, Mr. Li Qun and Gloria Annarella Velez Osejo, Minister of Culture, Arts, and Heritage of Honduras, signed an agreement to boost cultural heritage exchanges and cooperation. It marks the first cultural heritage cooperation agreement between China and Honduras since the establishment of diplomatic relations, aiming to collaborate on heritage protection, archaeology research, museum exchanges, personnel training, and deepen cooperation on the archaeological research and display of the Maya Site of Copan for closer cultural exchanges and people-to-people bond between the two countries.

The meeting was co-hosted by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the People's Government of Shandong Province, with 150 representatives from 23 countries and 2 international organizations present. The meeting also featured an exhibition showcasing cultural heritage conservation achievements in Qingdao, as well as activities demonstrating intangible cultural heritage skills and creative cultural products to highlight Qingdao's cultural heritage achievements and promote traditional culture.

Qingdao, as the host city of the meeting, boasts a rich cultural heritage passed down through generations. It is an important coastal center city, a seaside resort destination, an international port city, and a national historical and cultural city in China, with a history of human activities spanning over 50,000 years and nearly 7,000 years of agricultural culture history. Currently, the city has 13 historical and cultural districts, 550 cultural heritage protection units, and nearly 200,000 movable cultural relics. There are 207 intangible cultural heritage projects at municipal level and above, including 16 national intangible cultural heritage projects and 72 provincial intangible cultural heritage projects.

Source: The People's Government of Shandong Province

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