Trails to Tropical Treasures WORLD MONUMENTS FUND US/ICOMOS A Tour of A SEAN's Cultural Heritage ASEAN: ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS BRUNEI DARUSSALAM INDONESIA MALAYSIA THE PHILIPPINES SINGAPORE THAILAND AMERICAN! •EXPRESS This publication was made possible by a generous grant from the American Express Foundation KA * 4';:- gil EUROPE ASIA NORTH AMERICA AFRICA ATLANTIC O PACIFIC OCEAN SOUTH AMERICA INDIAN OCEAN AUSTRALIA Trails to Tropical Treasures A Tour ofASE AN3s Cultural Heritage ASEAN US/ICOMOS WMF The Association of Southeast Asian The U.S. Committee of the International Based in New York City, the World Nations is a regional grouping of inde­ Council on Monuments and Sites is one Monuments Fund is the only private, pendent nations comprising Brunei of 65 national committees that form a non-profit organization that sponsors Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the worldwide alliance for the study and worldwide preservation activities. Its Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, conservation of historic buildings, dis­ goal is to bring together public and pri­ committed to working together for tricts and sites. The committee serves as a vate support to assure the survival of the peace and prosperity in the region. U.S. window on the world by encourag­ world's most outstanding artistic and ing a two-way exchange of information architectural treasures. This work The ASEAN heads of government are and expertise between preservationists in focuses on the restoration of monuments the highest authority and meet as and the United States and abroad. It helps and works of art that are in danger of when necessary to give policy directions preservationists from other nations study loss or destruction. Through funding to the association. U.S. preservation techniques and activi­ from its membership and philanthropic ties, and it facilitates similar understand­ sponsors, WMF contributes technical The annual meeting of the ASEAN For­ ing of experiences overseas. Its inter­ and financial support to help save these eign Ministers, referred to as the ASEAN national programs are carried out under works. WMF also supports research, Ministerial Meeting, is the policy-mak­ cooperative agreements and contracts training and advocacy activities as they ing body of the association. It is assisted with a number of international and relate to the restoration and safeguarding by the ASEAN Standing Committee national public and private organiza­ of monuments and sites. under the chairmanship of the Foreign tions. Minister of the host country. The World Monuments Fund National Secretariat in each member Formed in 1965, ICOMOS is headquar­ 174 East 80th Street country hosts the various meetings and tered in Paris, France. It is a non-govern­ New York, N.Y. 10021 committees of the association. mental, non-profit international organ­ ization of professionals, individuals and The ASEAN Secretariat, formed in 1976, organizations active in preserving and serves as a central coordinating body for protecting the world's cultural heritage. the activities of the association. U.S. Committee, International Council ISBN 0-9627931-1-6 Association of Southeast Asian on Monuments and Sites ©Copyright 1992 Nations Decatur House World Monuments Fund 70-A, Jalan Sisingamangaraja 1600 H Street, N.W. US/ICOMOS Jakarta, Indonesia Washington, D.C. 20006 All Rights Reserved ¡•••••••i Table of Contents Foreword 4 Preserving a Sense of Place 5 The Responsibility of Cultural Tourism 6 Brunei Darussalam 9 Indonesia 15 Malaysia 21 The Philippines 27 Singapore 33 Thailand 39 ASEAN's Architectural Heritage: 44 Confronting the Challenge Perils of Architectural Heritage 46 Endangered Sites 48 Preservation Organizations 51 Legislative Overview 56 Major Sites and Attractions 60 Map of ASEAN 65 Foreword The territory that today comprises the The prehistoric peoples who once inhab­ alone. Governments, private enterprise countries of the Association of Southeast ited these lands have left us drawings on and non-governmental organizations Asian Nations (ASEAN) - Brunei the walls of their cave dwellings, posi­ must work together to shoulder the Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the tioned megaliths in cosmic terrestrial responsibility at hand. They have Philippines, Singapore and Thailand - locations, and left behind their bones in already proven the possibility: at Boro- has been a crossroads of civilization for sacred burial grounds. Other peoples bodur in Indonesia, at Vigan village in centuries. Our tropical sector of the later set sail from the shores of India and the Philippines, at Ayutthaya in Thai­ globe has never failed to exert a magnetic other moorings to bring Buddhism, Hin­ land, multi-sectoral collaboration has influence, and today it continues to do duism and Islam. Still later, colonizing worked. so as one of the world's major tourist Europeans brought Christianity. The destinations. More than 20 million tour­ Malay and Melanesian, Chinese, Indian Now this collaboration must be ists a year cross the borders of our six and myriad other peoples imbibed these expanded, and it is for this reason that nations and contribute $13 billion a year influences, developed their cultures, and this publication has been produced. to our economies. Tourism has become in the process left behind a record of their It is addressed to a wide public: the our single largest industry. strivings and world views in the buildings casual tourist, the corporate executive, and monuments they constructed. the urban planner, the scholar, the pres­ It is not surprising that tourists are lured ervationist. We aim to enhance your to our shores: we have so many of them, The diversity and depth of the heritage appreciation of our region's architectural washed by warm equatorial waters. to be discovered in ASEAN nations is heritage and to focus the world's Inland are further natural wonders - a truly astonishing, yet presently the safe­ attention on the need to protect and rain forest, perhaps, or a volcano - and guarding and maintenance of these tropi­ preserve it. never too far away are bustling towns cal treasures is a critical issue. Many and cities. Other destinations on the factors are converging to magnify the globe may also have these kinds of threats they face. The climate, as always, Dharmnoon Prachuabmoh attractions, but few have the diverse cul­ promotes the decay of these treasures Chairman tural and historic heritage to be found through the combined effects of heat and ASEAN Sub-Committee on among our nations, a heritage that fills moisture. Yet uncontrolled tourism, van­ Tourism the air constantly with a sense of secrecy dalism, brazen theft and poor planning Bangkok, Thailand and significance. are all accelerating this process of decay that is reversible with effort, attention The breezes carry memories of centuries and concern. of experience along trade routes as old as man, and scattered all around are the Safeguarding these treasures is as vital to more material reminders of the develop­ the economic health of our tourism ment of myriad cultures: works of archi­ industry as work force training and the tecture, both humble and monumental, construction and maintenance of air­ that provide a symbolic narrative of our ports, roads and hotels. No single sector histories. can meet the challenge of preservation 4 Preserving a Sense of Place "Let us, while waiting for new monuments, preserve the ancient monuments." Victor Hugo, 1832 What is it that attracts people to the cor­ This book will introduce the heritage tal recollection of how these places used ners of the earth, and motivates millions of a region - the countries of Brunei to be. This book is, therefore, a salute of people a year to travel for pleasure Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the to the preservationists of the ASEAN alone? To discover the sense of an un­ Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, region. It shows us what they have familiar place and to draw inspiration which form the Association of Southeast accomplished, and alerts us to the battles from the variety of human expression Asian Nations (ASEAN). Whether this they are still afraid of losing. It invites are two key reasons. What does Paris area is familiar or exotic to the reader, us to think of how we can help them, have in common with Beijing; Mexico the book will provide a look at the heri­ and also of what we can learn from City with London; Cairo with Bangkok; tage of these places in a new way. For their example. and Charleston with Jakarta? In all these newcomers to the region, it will answer cities, the character of the place shapes many questions about the area's history daily life, a fact most apparent to the vis­ and peoples and point out the most spe­ Bonnie Burnham itor. Daily life extends back into the past cial places to visit. For habitues of the Executive Director and projects itself forward into a future region, the book will answer other ques­ World Monuments Fund that assumes a continuous sense of phys­ tions. How did centers of civilization New York, New York ical place. Yet places, too, are in a con­ grow up, who built them, how have they stant state of change. survived and who is involved in keeping this history alive today? You will see the What gives a place its special character is tremendous impact of preservation's its heritage: the influence of unique his­ successes on the entire region, and also toric events, the authentic variety of its learn about the monumental challenges architecture, the circumstances and that lie ahead. advantages of its location and its appeal to the senses. Heritage is the backbone Much of the concern for heritage - here that holds together these different levels as elsewhere - can be credited to the of experience and provides continuity actions of private citizens. They have to balance the process of change. When banded together into small groups to this heritage is well protected and pre­ create awareness and define actions to served, the place has an invisible struc­ which their governments have lent sup­ ture that supports it psychologically and port.