18 | Thursday, July 29, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE | WORLD HERITAGE uanzhou has been added system and pursuit of the harmony to the UNESCO World between people and their environ- Heritage List, marking Inclusion of Quanzhou as a UNESCO World Heritage Site shows China’s ment, Lyu Zhou, director of Tsing- the end of a long-awaited hua University National Heritage Q process. Preparation of long, concerted efforts in cultural conservation, Wang Kaihao reports. Center, said at a side event on con- the city’s bid for World Heritage sta- servation and sustainable develop- tus was launched in 2001. ment of historic urban landscapes Talking about the selection pro- held at the ongoing 44th Session of cess of World Heritage candidates in the World Heritage Committee in China, President Xi Jinping said in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province. 2016 that the work should highlight “The effort of seeking World Heri- the historical and cultural values of tage status is just a channel to Chinese civilization, reflect Chinese enhance the protection of old cities, people’s spiritual pursuit, and show which is a challenge commonly a complete and real image of China faced across the world in urban in both ancient and modern times to development,” Lyu said. the rest of the world. “Many of our experiences, includ- With the inscription of “Quan- ing comprehensive conservation of zhou: Emporium of the World in cultural heritage sites, the timely Song-Yuan China”, China now has 56 drafting of plans and people-centric UNESCO World Heritage sites, of ideas (in site protection), can be ref- which 38 are cultural, 14 natural and erential for the international com- four a mix of cultural and natural munity.” sites — higher than most other coun- In China, there are about 70 local tries in each category. rules for the conservation of cultural Chinese conservators and schol- heritage sites, and the central gov- ars say the priority is not to pursue ernment has allocated over 600 mil- numbers, but to comprehensively lion yuan ($93 million) for the improve China’s work in taking care protection of World Heritage sites of its heritage sites. since 2012. China joined the Convention Con- Some Chinese experiences have cerning the Protection of World Cul- been shared further afield. In 2018, the tural and Natural Heritage in 1985, 42nd Session of the World Heritage and, in recent years, the country has Committee recommended conserva- witnessed significant achievements A list of achievement tion of the Grand Canal as an example. in the area, especially since the 18th Last week, the Great Wall was cited as National Congress of the Commu- another example of conservation at nist Party of China in 2012. The the committee’s ongoing session. importance of cultural heritage in Some overseas experiences have the country’s overall development also been introduced to China has been emphasized by top leaders through joint efforts. In 2014, on various occasions. inscription of the “Silk Roads: The “The heritage sites are physical Routes Network of Chang’an-Tian- evidence of the brilliance of Chinese shan Corridor” marked China’s first, civilization,” said Zhang Lei, deputy and, so far, only cross-border World director of the department in charge Heritage Site, with Kazakhstan and of World Heritage at the National Kyrgyzstan. Cultural Heritage Administration, According to Song Xinchao, depu- during a news conference of the ty director of the National Cultural State Council Information Office Heritage Administration, a joint bid earlier this month in Beijing. for ancient maritime Silk Road sites, “They bear the testimony of our combining China and some other cultural richness and the contribu- countries, is still being planned tion of Chinese civilization to the despite the difficulties. world.” “To prepare for the work, we’ll The Archaeological Ruins of further enhance cooperation and Liangzhu City (listed in 2019) unveils coordination with countries along a regional state and a civilization the routes and launch thematic best known for its jade artifacts and Top: A view of the Grand Canal research,” he says. “We can protect water conservancy technology from in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and inherit these historical trea- 5,300 years ago. placed on the UNESCO World sures together.” Separately, “Silk Roads: The Heritage List in 2014. During a side event on the ancient Routes Network of Chang’an-Tian- JIANG LINGGUANG / FOR CHINA DAILY maritime Silk Road at the 44th Ses- shan Corridor” (2014) and the Grand Above: Zuojiang Huashan Rock sion of the World Heritage Commit- Canal (2014) indicate the communi- Art Cultural Landscape in tee, experts from Japan, South cation and trade networks in ancient Chongzuo, Guangxi Zhuang Korea, Indonesia and India contrib- China, giving impetus to the devel- autonomous region, a site added uted their ideas on the joint protec- opment and prosperity of society. to the World Heritage List in tion and research of heritage sites in The Cultural Landscape of 2016. YU XIANGQUAN / FOR CHINA DAILY the network of ancient trade routes Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (2013), Left: The site, “Kulangsu through livestreaming. Tusi Sites (2015) and Zuojiang (Gulangyu Island), a Historic Starting from Quanzhou, an Huashan Rock Art Cultural Land- ern coast of China, more recently, inscription on the list of World Her- the environment through the culti- International Settlement”, in ancient harbor known for its cultur- scape (2016) portray how different between the East and the West. itage sites continues to reflect such vation of tea, according to a propos- Xiamen, Fujian province, al inclusiveness, the voyage of heri- ethnic groups communicate with “The heritage sites span different a philosophy. For example, the al of the National Cultural Heritage declared a World Heritage Site tage conservators in China may have and influence each other to form a phases of the development of Chi- Ancient Tea Plantations of Jingmai Administration. in 2017. a more challenging but greater goal. shared community of Chinese nese civilization and speak to its out- Mountain in Pu’er, which will be And, the 7.8-kilometer Central WANG DONGMING / CHINA NEWS SERVICE people. standing achievements,” Zhang said. China’s nomination for the World Axis of Beijing, which is likely to be Contact the writer at “Kulangsu (Gulangyu Island), a “They show cultural inheritance … Heritage List in 2022, shows the nominated by China for the same list [email protected] Historic International Settlement” and the evolving wisdom in protect- cradle of tea culture and demon- within the next decade, is also a (2017) provides a unique example of ing ecology.” strates agricultural technology, a reflection of Chinese core values, Hu Meidong contributed to this cultural diversity on the southeast- China’s tentative list for future belief system and people’s care for ranging from urban design, ritual story. Port city: Locations reveal depth of region’s industrial influence From page 16 cessing workshop and waste dumps Locals also show gratitude for the ceramics fed the demand of consum- hai One probably surprised the gen- According to Shen, it is also the were excavated. According to Zheng craftsmanship that has been passed ers from different social classes. eral public. However, for profession- only archaeological site in China According to Li, articles including Jiongxin, director of Dehua Ceramics down. At the Qudougong site, a “Artisans working at both places al researchers like Shen Ruiwen, an that witnesses the coexistence of bowls, plates, boxes and vases are Museum, the new findings provided temple was established during the were apt to learn from others,” he says. archaeology professor at Peking Uni- bloomery iron and pig iron — two among the main types of products key clues for the studies of ceramics Song Dynasty in memory of Lin “They mimicked famous products versity, it was not surprising at all — major types of ancient smelting exported during the Song and Yuan production techniques at the time. Bing, who was said to have started from around the country, while mix- it just provides evidence of the pros- techniques. periods (960-1368). The white porce- Several “dragon kilns” — named the dragon kiln. People have wor- ing their own style, and continuously perous iron trade, as recorded in his- “Qingyang village is where one of lain was found in large quantities, after their long shape, which resem- shipped this master by bringing honing their skills, expanding their torical documents. the dedicated iron plants was set up not only aboard Nanhai One, but bles a dragon — were found on the their own products as tributes in production capacity and strengthen- For example, in Brief Introduc- by the Song government,” he says. also among shipwrecks from Indone- site and they are viewed by academia sacrificial ceremonies. ing management. They were sensitive tion to Foreign Islands, a book com- “The iron smelting industry here sia, Malaysia, and other areas across as a milestone in the evolution of Being inscribed on the World Heri- to market demands and thus adapted piled by a Yuan Dynasty navigator peaked in the 11th century.” South China Sea. Samples of Dehua ceramics production. The longest tage List doesn’t mean that study of well to maritime trade, making full in 1349, iron made in China, includ- Discovery of coins, a large white porcelain have also been found one stretches over 160 meters along a the sites and its artifacts will halt. use of the local resources. ing “ironware”, “iron pots”, “iron amount of broken porcelain and at archaeological sites in West Asia hillside. Zheng says follow-up excavations “Dehua and Cizao complemented bars” and “iron lumps”, among oth- ruins of residential buildings on the and East Africa. Zheng says unearthed ceramic will continue in the area so that his- each other and jointly supported er forms of the black metal, were site may indicate a lasting period of Crafting such exquisite products shards on the site also match previous torians can form a continuous time- Quanzhou’s role as an emporium of exported to 48 countries and prosperity in the metallurgy busi- requires time.