World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the PacificRegion under the auspices of UNESCO
Report for the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee
Reporting period: July 2023 to June 2024

1. General Information
Name of the Centre
Name and contact information of theDirector/Head

World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia andthe Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (WHITRAP)
Prof. ZHOU Jian
sec@whitr-ap.org

Designated Focal Point(s)(name, title and contact information)

Mrs. LI Hong, Project Director
h.li@whitr-ap.org

Website (if available)

www.whitr-ap.org

2. Institutional and Operational Structure of the Centre[Directors]
Prof. ZHOU Jian, Secretary-General of WHITRAP
Prof. SHAO Yong, Executive Director of WHITRAP Shanghai;Prof. SHEN Ruiwen, Director, WHITRAP Beijing;
Mr. ZHU Haijun, Director, WHITRAP Suzhou 2023.06-2024.02
Mr. GU Wenhua, Director, WHITRAP Suzhou 2024.02-2024.06[Staff]
The Rotating Secretariat has been located in Shanghai since 2012, which has 3 staff.
WHITRAP Shanghai is organized by Tongji University, which has 10 staff.
WHITRAP Suzhou is organized by the Suzhou Municipal Government, which has 20 staff.
WHITRAP Beijing is organized by Peking University, which has 9 staff.
[Operational funding for projects in 2023]
Suzhou Local Government $437,085USD;
Peking University $415,161USD;
China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation $62,655USD;
Tongji University $288,212USD;
Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd. $501,239USD.
1

3. Updates on the Management of the Centre(e.g. meetings of the Governing Board and key decisions adopted)
N/A

4. Main Programmes and Activities
NbTitle of the activity

1

The Convention is understood and achieves overall positive benefit to conservation whileavoiding negative impacts.

(1)

Co-organizing the 2023 Joint Workshop on Cultural Heritage
Conservation in Chongqing, August 2023

1.1, 1.3, 2.5, 2.7, 5.2(2)

Speech making at Sino-Italian World Heritage Sites Friendship
Forum, October 2023

1.1, 1.6(3)

Graduate Course on Chinese Cultural Heritage Studies at Yenching
Academy of Peking University, September 2023

1.3, 4.7, 5.2, 9.2(4)

Exhibition and Curatorial Studies Program on Museums,Communities, and the Future, Central Academy of Fine Arts,
1.3
September 2023
A more balanced World Heritage List is achieved, and fewer nominations suffer serious
problems following their submission.

2(1)
(2)

(3)

(4)

Reference toWHCBS1

Publication on The Vitality of Tradition: Changes in Heritage Valuesof a Dong Village in Qiandongnan, August 2023
Publication on Generation of Heritage and Continuation ofTradition: Investigation and Research of Zhibo Village in Sichuan
Province, September 2023
Research on Promoting the Integration of World Heritage
Management Planning into China's Territorial Spatial Planning
based on 'Multi-Planning Integration' and its Talent Cultivation
Project (G2023133024L), 2023-2024
The comparative study on Three Lanes and Seven Alleys and otherhistorical districts in Fuzhou City, August 2023

2.1
2.1

2.1, 2.7, 2.8, 3.3,3.4, 5.2, 9.2

2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.8(5)Feasibility Study of the Joint World Heritage Nomination of China’sBaiheliang and Egypt's Nilometer, November 2023

2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.8(6)Serial thematic research on the Joint World Heritage Nomination ofChina’s Baiheliang and Egypt's Nilometer, 2024

2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.8(7)

Mixed WH nomination research for Hainan Tropical Rainforest andLi Ethnic Traditional Villages, 2024

2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.8(8)

Conference on the Power of Nature in metropolitan Area:
2.8, 4.7, 5.3
Heritopolis Shanghai Conference on the World Metropolitan Day
2023, October 2023
National Institutions are effective in the identification, conservation and presentation of thecultural and natural heritage.

3

1 WHCBS i.e. World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy (http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2011/whc11-35com-9Be.pdf).
2

(1)Publishing 3 Journals on Suzhou Garden, World Heritage andAncient Architecture and Suzhou Garden, 4 times/ year, 2023

3.1, 3.3(2)

HeritAP Chat on Implementing the Action Plan of the 3rd Cycle ofPeriodic Reporting in Asia and the Pacific, October 2023

3.2,4.8, 5.3, 10.9

(3)

Consultation on the Policy of Suzhou Garden Classification andManagement Measures, August 2023

3.1, 3.3(4)

Management of collaborative exemplary project with UNOSSC
Beijing: China-Mexico Heritage Education Innovation, 2023

3.1, 3.7, 7.4, 7.5,
8.2, 10.7(5)

Research on International Policy for China's World Heritage Sites
under Issues of Climate Change, 2023

3.7, 4.8, 5.3, 7.2(6)

Promoting the Suzhou Garden Overseas Touring Exhibition, 2024

3.7, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3

4

Effective sustainable management and conservation of World Heritage occurs, taking into
account the dynamics of specific local contexts and settings within the larger framework ofglobal WH processes.

(1)

Database Establishment on Heritage Elements of Suzhou ClassicalGardens, 2023 – now(2)

Report on Good practices and experiences of cities in China on
Heritage Conservation in the context of South-South Cooperation,
December 2023
Thematic Research on Hainan Tropical Rainforest and Li Traditional
Settlement Nomination for World Cultural and Natural Heritage,
August 2023

(3)

(4)

Research on the Urban Heritage of Fuzhou City, December 2023

(5)

Research World Hydrological Heritage (Phase I), December 2023

(6)

Research on Fujian Ancient National Traffic Route, 2024

(7)

2nd Cycle of UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism
Programme – Chinese Pilot Studies: Migratory Bird Sanctuaries
along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I), 20232024
2nd Cycle of UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism
Programme – Chinese Pilot Studies: Migratory Bird

(8)4.2, 4.44.2, 7.1, 7.5

4.7

4.7
4.7
4.7
4.7, 3.4, 7.1, 7.2,7.3, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4
4.7

(9)

Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China(Phase I), 2024.4.7

5Skills for conservation of cultural and natural heritage are strengthened.

(1)

Organizing 2 Youth Heritage serial activities, 2024

(2)

Report on the Public Welfare Development of Chinese CulturalHeritage, 2024 - now

5.2

(3)

International Conference on Urban Heritage Conservation andDesign for Sustainable Development and International Network for
Urban Heritage Conservation in Higher Education Institutions,
September 2023

5.2, 8.2

3

4.7

5.2

(4)

World Heritage Dialogues on Public Communication and Heritage
Education of Living Heritage, June 2023

5.2, 5.3(5)HeritAP Chat on Digital Technology Empowering World Heritage
Interpretation, July 2023

4.8, 5.2, 5.3(6)

Hosting an international exchange activity on the theme of Youthand Traditional Skills, July 2024

5.2, 5.3(7)

Carrying out plant pest control investigation in the World Heritage
Suzhou classical gardens and provide professional training, 2024

5.2, 5.3, 10.7

(8)

Co-organizing Symposium on Capacity Development on Climate
Action for World Heritage, February - April 2024

5.2, 5.3, 7.2, 7.3(9)Carrying out courses on World Heritage in local schools, 2024

5.2, 5.3, 8.1(10)

The 2023 Advanced Course on Conservation and Restoration
Techniques of Traditional Architecture for the Asia-Pacific Region,
October 2023

5.2, 5.3, 8.1(11)Intern programme, 2023-2024

6The availability of funding and other resources to meet conservation needs in World
Heritage Sites is significantly enhanced.

(1)

The Second Gansu Dialogue Mayor’s Symposium on Sustainable
Tourism along the Silk Road, March 2024

7

Greater mutual benefits to communities and their heritage results through sustainable
development associated with World Heritage Properties(1)

Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases, 2023

(2)

HeritAP Annual Meeting on World Heritage Contribution toSustainable Development Goals, November 2023

(3)

Organizing side event on "The Next 50 Years, World Heritage
Education for the Future" at 45 Session of WH COM, September
2023
2023 World Heritage Creative X Innovator Forum & 3rd Anniversaryof Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases,November 2023
Training Program on The Belt and Road and BRICS Cultural Heritage
Protection and 2023 University Consortium on the Maritime Silk
Road (UCMSR), July 2023
Hosting The 2nd World Cultural and Natural Heritage Forum on
Defining the contemporary human-nature relationship: coexistence, mutual learning and sustainability, November, 2023

(4)

(5)

(6)

5.2

6.1, 7.1, 7.2, 9.2

7.1, 7.3, 8.1
4.8, 5.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3
7.1, 7.3, 8.1

7.1, 7.3, 8.1

7.2, 10.7

7.4

(7)

Organizing the volunteer project on Monitoring and Cultural
Mapping of the Grand Canal (Beijing), 2024

8Greater and inclusive participation of local communities in heritage conservation,
presentation and associated development(1)

Ripple Action: Empowering Youth for Heritage, 2023

4

7.5

8.1, 8.2, 8.3

(2)Organizing the Fifth Youth Crossover Forum, December 2023

8.1, 8.2, 8.3(3)

Holding the Garden Lectures on “Learning in the Garden”, August2023

8.1, 8.2, 8.3(4)

Organizing Youth Garden Model Creative Competition, May 2024

8.1, 8.2, 8.3(5)

Organizing Shaoxing Ancient City Innovation Competition, July 2023

5.3, 7.2, 8.1, 8.3(6)Compiling 4 issues of WHITRAP Newsletters in English and Chinese,
2023

8.4

(7)

Translation the book on Bringing Living Heritage to the Classroomin Asia-Pacific into Chinese, 2024

4.1, 8.4

9Increased awareness of the need for and benefits from heritage conservation and thecontribution of the World Heritage Convention to achieving this(1)Editing and co-publishing the academic journal Study on Naturaland Cultural Heritage, 2023-2024

9.1

(2)

Compiling the 2023 annual report of Suzhou Classical Gardens,
March 2024

9.1

(3)

Organizing the Yangtze River Delta Regional Dialogue on Heritage
Conservation, June 2024

9.1

(4)

Co-organizing Peking University’s 2023 Summer School for
Outstanding High School Students (Archaeology), July 2023

9.2

10

Beyond the contribution of capacity building to achieving positive results for the other 4“Cs” of the strategic directions of the World Heritage Convention, new approaches areneeded to ensure that the World Heritage Capacity Building itself, is effective and is able toreport results to the World Heritage Committee and other stakeholders(1)

Translation of Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in aWorld Heritage Context, 2023-2024

3.6, 4.1, 4.4, 6.2,10.5(2)Co-organizing Training Workshop on Heritage Impact Assessment inSoutheast Asian Context: Principles, Methodology and Mitigation
Measures, April 2024

5.2, 5.3, 10.2, 10.3,10.4, 10.7, 10.8

5