ICCROM-CHA International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Conservation Forum Series 1 Cultural Property Asian Buddhist Heritage: Asian Conserving the Sacred ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) is an intergovernmental organization (IGO), and the only institution of its kind dedicated to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage worldwide, including monuments and sites, as well as museum, library and archive collections. ICCROM-CHA Conservation Forum Series ICCROM-CHA Conservation Forum Via di San Michele 13 I-00153 Rome, Italy ICCROM fulfils its mission through collecting and disseminating information; Telephone: +39-06585531 coordinating research; offering consultancy and advice; providing advanced Fax: +39-0658553349 Asian Buddhist Heritage [email protected] training; and promoting awareness of the value of preserving cultural heritage. www.iccrom.org Conserving the Sacred www.facebook.com/iccrom @ICCROM ISBN 978-92-9077-240-8 ISBN 978-92-9077-240-8 © ICCROM 2016 9 789290 772408 1 ASIAN BUDDHIST HERITAGE Conserving the Sacred EDITED BY Gamini Wijesuriya and Sujeong Lee First ICCROM-CHA International Forum on Conservation Asian Buddhist Heritage: Conserving the Sacred 4-6 December 2013, Seoul, Republic of Korea Organized by Gamini Wijesuriya, Sites Unit, ICCROM Sujeong Lee, National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Project Advisors Stefano De Caro, Director-General, ICCROM Rha Sun-hwa, Administrator, Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), Republic of Korea Joseph King, Director, Sites Unit, ICCROM Kim Yeonsoo, Director, International Cooperation Division, Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), Republic of Korea Asian Buddhist Heritage: Conserving the Sacred Edited by Gamini Wijesuriya and Sujeong Lee ISBN 978-92-9077-240-8 © 2017 ICCROM International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property Via di San Michele, 13 00153 Rome, Italy www.iccrom.org Designed by Maxtudio, Rome Printed on eco-friendly paper by Ograro srl, Rome Cover photo: Buddhist monk exploring courtyards of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap. © efired / Fotolia This volume was produced thanks to the generosity of the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), Republic of Korea. AsianBuddhistHeritageLayout .indd 2 12/12/2016 17:08 9 Making conservation decisions in Bhutan, CONTENTS especially in the context of heritage sites Karma Tenzin 77 10 The status, conservation and management of Buddhist heritage in Pakistan Muhammad Zahir 85 Foreword v 11 Conservation and management of Buddhist heritage in Japan 1 Introduction Katsuhisa Ueno 91 Gamini Wijesuriya 1 12 Empowering monks for conservation: lessons 2 Religious heritage and tolerance Stefano De Caro 11 from the UNESCO project “Cultural Revival and Survival in the Buddhist Sangha” 3 Let the sites of Buddhism be living icons Montira Unakul 97 of a liberated people Roland Silva 20 13 Challenges of managing a living Buddhist site: Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya, India 4 Finding a Middle Path for saving the Abha Narain Lambah and Nangzey Dorje 103 contradictory values of living Buddhist 14 Cultural heritage of Buddhism in contemporary temples in Korea Sujeong Lee 34 Vietnamese society Dang Van Bai 112 5 An illusion of permanence: heritage 15 Buddhist heritage conservation and conservation within the Buddhist world view in management in Myanmar (with special Ladakh Tara Sharma 44 reference to the Buddhist Centre of Bagan) Nyein Lwin 119 6 Perception and management of heritage in the 16 The conservation and management of Chinese Buddhist context: observations from Nepal Neel Kamal Chapagain 53 Buddhist heritage and the case of Daming Temple 7 The relevance of authenticity in conserving Guang Xiaoxia and Xie Qingtong 129 Buddhist heritage Jagath Weerasinghe 63 17 Summary of the discussions of the ICCROM/ CHA Forum on Asian Buddhist heritage: 8 Importance of philosophical and traditional Conserving the Sacred approaches to conservation of Buddhist Joseph King 136 heritage in Thailand Pinraj Khanjanusthiti 70 Biographies 139 AsianBuddhistHeritageLayout .indd 3 12/12/2016 17:08 AsianBuddhistHeritageLayout .indd 4 12/12/2016 17:08 Foreword This volume contains the collection of papers presented at the First Annual Forum - Asian Buddhist Heritage: Conserving the Sacred held in Seoul, Republic of Korea in December 2013. The Forum was a result of a collaborative effort between the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) of Korea and ICCROM. It is a new thematic programme for developing contextual heritage policy guidance and/or principles for the Asian region. While focusing on Asia in particular and contributing to regional capacity building processes, the programme aimed at providing benefits on a global scale. The goals of the thematic programme were: many centuries as places of spiritual significance and pilgrimage for various societies. They are indeed great 1. to explore, research and debate key themes sources of knowledge, an integral part of life for many emerging from the Asian region that have and they mirror Asian culture and civilization. implications for effective conservation and management of heritage; Increasing numbers of these places are being 2. to formulate policy guidance notes and/or designated as national heritage and some are even principles related to the above themes for improved being elevated to World Heritage status due to their and effective conservation and management of Outstanding Universal Value. Heritage designations heritage; and on different levels bring a variety of new challenges 3. to contribute to capacity building efforts in the and issues to the guardians, users, heritage authorities region. and governments. While current heritage management frameworks have attempted to address such challenges, The programme was launched in 2013 and will run there is still more to be done. for five years. The theme of the first Forum ‘Asian Buddhist Heritage: Conserving the Sacred’. Buddhist Most of these places (including some archaeological heritage constitutes one of the most widespread sites) fall into the category of living heritage as defined heritage categories in the Asian region. The nature by the continuity of religious practices and festivals of this heritage varies from archaeological sites to by community groups. The physical manifestations living temples, including large collections of objects and spatial arrangements of these places continue and numerous associated traditions, practices and to change or grow and so do their related religious festivals. Some of these continue to function after practices and festivals. Such changes are in part due v AsianBuddhistHeritageLayout .indd 5 12/12/2016 17:08 to the increasing demand for more facilities (including visitors, while some aspects of pilgrimages are being new construction, infrastructure, etc.) to cope compromised or even threatened. with increases in population and visitor numbers. Continuity of care is ensured through traditional It is within this context that locally relevant or established conservation and management conservation and management approaches for these practices, although they may not necessarily comply places need to be considered, rather than directly with accepted international heritage management imposing international conservation policies. These concepts. For instance, constant renewal of heritage are often in conflict with some of the above concerns, places is a well-established phenomenon in these liturgical aspects and even conventional approaches places and it also helps the community to gain merit. adopted by Buddhist communities and guardians. Visitor numbers are rising due to the publicity given This particular Forum was considered as a natural to religious places designated as heritage, increasing extension to the ICCROM Forum held in 2003 on numbers of which are being upgraded to World ‘Conserving the Sacred’. This addressed some of the Heritage status. Although visitors and tourism may issues that are common to all types of religious heritage, bring much needed financial resources to local but there is a growing demand in the Asian region for economies, as well as to the temples themselves, greater debate. The Forum, with participants mainly they also bring conflicting issues that need attention. from the Asian region, brought these concerns to the For instance the religious atmosphere of living fore and went on to discuss and debate them, working temples is being impacted by increasing numbers of collectively, before developing a summary. Stefano De Caro Director-General of ICCROM Rha Sun-hwa Administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration of the Republic of Korea vi 1 Introduction Gamini Wijesuriya The purpose of this paper prepared for the ‘Forum on Asian Buddhist heritage: Conserving the Sacred’ was to reflect on the theme with a view to facilitating the deliberations and highlighting questions for the participants to consider when preparing their papers. Why focus on Asian Buddhist Heritage? When its programme (2003-2008) and the ICCROM Forum on Korean partner, the Cultural Heritage Administration the theme ‘Living Religious Heritage: conserving the (CHA) proposed this particular theme as the first sacred’, held in 2003. activity of a five-year programme, ICCROM had no hesitation in accepting it for several reasons. Religious The rationale behind the Living Heritage Sites places in general dominate the heritage lists in many programme was