On October 4, 2022, the expert consultation meeting on the theme set of cultural exchange along the Silk Road, "Architecture and Monuments", organized by UNESCO and Nanjing Creative Center, was held online. From UNESCO, International Centre for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), International Council on Monuments and Sites China (ICOMOS-CHINA), National Heritage Center of Tsinghua University, School of Architecture of Southeast University, Center for the Study of Earth Architecture of Ecole Nationale Superieure de Architecture Grenoble (CRATerre), Leiden University The conference was attended by 15 international high-level experts and scholars in the fields of architecture and heritage, including the School of Regional Studies (Key Asian Heritage Studies) and Hanyang University.
The Collection of Cultural Exchanges along the Silk Roads is a publication initiated by the UNESCO Silk Roads Project, which is part of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures 2013-2022 and the 2030 Plan for Sustainable Development. The purpose of this expert consultation meeting is to trace the historical and geographical imprint of architectural exchanges along the Silk Road around the theme book of architecture and monuments, and to study the common heritage of the Silk Road in relation to the theme book of architecture and monuments, in order to determine the main contents, methods and techniques of the theme book.
The project was supported by the Nanjing Historical and Cultural City Expo, and the conference adopted the virtual conference background of the theme of the Belt and Road countries and world famous cities customized by the City. In 2013, the Organizing Committee of the City Council formed a strategic partnership with UNESCO. The cooperation will deeply implement the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative, aiming to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning along the Belt and Road and people-to-people exchanges.
This expert consultation brought together 15 international high-level experts and scholars in the field of architecture and monuments to discuss related issues such as architectural style, design and communication.
Meldad Shabahan, Head of UNESCO's Silk Road Programme, chaired the meeting. He expressed his heartfelt thanks to the experts participating in the project, and introduced the development of UNESCO's Silk Road project and the basic situation of this publication project.
Professor Lv Zhou, director of the National Heritage Center at Tsinghua University and vice president of the China Chapter of ICOMOS, said that by understanding such exchanges in the past, one can see the development of human civilization and the development of architecture in such exchanges. The participating experts also said that "architecture and monuments are one of the main areas of dialogue and exchange between different cultures along the Silk Road, and are considered to be an important part of the shared heritage of different cultures around the world today, and the theme book is of great significance for cultural exchange along the Silk Road." For this reason, experts have launched a heated discussion.
Professor Michael Turner, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and UNESCO Research Chair in Urban Design and Conservation, said architecture is about urban construction, or urban planning. He believes that the theme book should not only focus on the building itself, but also include building materials, which he believes is a key element of communication between different cultures.
Joseph King, senior Director of the Office of the Director General of the International Center for the Study of the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), said that the four key areas of architecture include building materials, building techniques, design styles and building types, and urbanization is also an important factor, hoping to incorporate it into the content related to technology or use, such as religious buildings and palaces.
Dong Wei, secretary general of the Secretariat of the Asian Institute of Heritage Management (AAHM) and Professor of the School of Architecture at Southeast University, said that the Silk Road itself is a huge heritage, not just the traditional Silk Road. The contemporary Silk Road is connecting more countries and cities, and there will be more different types of architectural heritage. At the same time, he suggests the study of urban culture, people can easily understand the value of the Silk Road through such urban architecture research.
After the meeting, the participating experts will continue to put forward relevant opinions and suggestions on the content of the theme book, and will start to organize relevant research work as soon as possible. Meanwhile, a collection of Cultural Exchanges along the Silk Road: Architecture and Monuments is scheduled to be published in October 2023.
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