XI’AN DECLARATIONON THE CONSERVATION OF THE SETTINGOF HERITAGE STRUCTURES, SITES AND AREAS
Adopted in Xi’an, Chinaby the 15th General Assembly of ICOMOS
on 21 October 2005
Final version - 22.10.2005

Preamble
Meeting in the ancient city of Xi’an (China) on 17-21st October 2005, at the invitation of ICOMOS
China on the occasion of 15th General Assembly of ICOMOS and the celebrations marking the40th anniversary of its longstanding endeavour to ensure the safeguard and conservation of theWorld’s cultural heritage as part of its sustainable and human development;
Benefiting from the broad range of cases and reflections shared during the General Assembly’s
International Symposium on Monuments and Sites in their Settings – Conserving CulturalHeritage in Changing Townscapes and Landscapes and learning from a broad range ofexperiences from China and world-wide authorities, institutions and specialists in providing
adequate care and management of heritage structures, sites and areas such as historic cities,
landscapes, seascapes, cultural routes and archaeological sites in the context of acceleratedchange and development;
Taking note of the international and professional interest for the conservation of the settings ofmonuments and sites as expressed in the International Charter for the Conservation andRestoration of Monuments and Sites – the Venice Charter (1964) – and in the many texts it has
inspired, particularly through ICOMOS National and International Committees, as well as theNara Document on Authenticity (1994) and conclusions and recommendations of international
meetings like the Hoi An Declaration on the Conservation of Historic Districts in Asia (2003), theDeclaration on the Recovery of Bam’s Cultural Heritage (2004), and the Seoul Declaration onTourism in Asia’s Historic Towns and Areas (2005);
Noting the references to the concept of setting in UNESCO conventions and recommendations
like the Recommendation concerning the Safeguarding of Beauty and Character of Landscapesand Sites (1962), the Recommendation concerning the Preservation of Cultural Property
Endangered by Public or Private Works (1968), the Recommendation concerning theSafeguarding and Contemporary Role of Historic Areas (1976), the Convention for theSafeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, (2003) and more specifically the World Heritage
Convention (1972) and its Operational Guidelines, where setting is listed as an attribute ofauthenticity and as needing protection through the establishment of buffer zones, and theongoing opportunity this brings for international and interdisciplinary co-operation between
ICOMOS, UNESCO and other partners and for developments on topics like authenticity or theconservation of historic urban landscapes expressed in the Vienna Memorandum (2005).

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Stressing the need to address adequately the rapid or incremental transformation of cities,
landscapes and heritage routes which result from changes in lifestyles, agriculture, development,
tourism or large-scale disasters of natural or human origin, and to recognise, protect and sustain
adequately the meaningful presence of heritage structures, sites and areas in their settings as away to reduce the threat these transformation processes constitute against the cultural heritage inthe full richness of its authenticity, meaning, values, integrity and diversity,
Participants of the 15th General Assembly of ICOMOS adopt the following Declaration ofprinciples and recommendations, addressing it to intergovernmental and non-governmentalorganisations, national and local authorities and all institutions and specialists able to contribute
through legislation, policies, planning processes and management to better protect and conserve
the world’s heritage structures, sites and areas in their settings.

Acknowledge the contribution of setting to the significance of heritage monuments, sites
and areas
1.

The setting of a heritage structure, site or area is defined as the immediate andextended environment that is part of, or contributes to, its significance anddistinctive character.
Beyond the physical and visual aspects, the setting includes interaction with thenatural environment; past or present social or spiritual practices, customs, traditional
knowledge, use or activities and other forms of intangible cultural heritage aspects
that created and form the space as well as the current and dynamic cultural, socialand economic context.

2.

Heritage structures, sites or areas of various scales, including individual
buildings or designed spaces, historic cities or urban landscapes, landscapes,
seascapes, cultural routes and archaeological sites, derive their significanceand distinctive character from their perceived social and spiritual, historic,artistic, aesthetic, natural, scientific, or other cultural values. They also derive
their significance and distinctive character from their meaningful relationships
with their physical, visual, spiritual and other cultural context and settings.
These relationships can be the result of a conscious and planned creative act, spiritualbelief, historical events, use or a cumulative and organic process over time throughcultural traditions.

Understand, document and interpret the settings in diverse contexts
3.

Understanding, documenting and interpreting the setting is essential to defining
and appreciating the heritage significance of any structure, site or area.
The definition of setting requires an understanding of the history, evolution andcharacter of the surrounds of the heritage resource. Defining the setting is a processof considering multiple factors to include the character of the arrival experience andthe heritage resource itself.

4.

Understanding the setting in an inclusive way requires a multi-disciplinary
approach and the use of diverse information sources.
Sources include formal records and archives, artistic and scientific descriptions, oral
history and traditional knowledge, the perspectives of local and associatedcommunities as well as the analysis of views and vistas.

-2-Cultural traditions, rituals, spiritual practices and concepts as well as history,
topography, natural environment values, use and other factors contribute to create thefull range of a setting’s tangible and intangible values and dimensions. The definitionof settings should carefully articulate the character and values of the setting and its
relationship to the heritage resource.

Develop planning tools and practices to conserve and manage settings
5.

The implementation of effective planning and legislative tools, policies,
strategies and practices to sustainably manage settings requires consistency
and continuity in application, whilst reflecting the local or cultural contexts inwhich they function.
Tools to manage settings include specific legislative measures, professional training,development of comprehensive conservation and management plans or systems, anduse of adequate heritage impact assessment methods.

6.

Legislation, regulation and guidelines for the protection, conservation andmanagement of heritage structures, sites and areas should provide for theestablishment of a protection or buffer zone around them that reflects andconserves the significance and distinctive character of their setting.

7.

Planning instruments should include provisions to effectively control the impact
of incremental or rapid change on settings.
Significant skylines, sight lines and adequate distance between any new public orprivate development and heritage structures, sites and areas are key aspects toassess in the prevention of inappropriate visual and spatial encroachments or land
use in significant settings.

8.

Heritage impact assessments should be required for all new development
impacting on the significance of heritage structures, sites and areas and on
their settings.
Development within the setting of heritage structures, sites and areas should
positively interpret and contribute to its significance and distinctive character.

Monitor and manage change affecting settings
9.

The rate of change and the individual and cumulative impacts of change andtransformation on the settings of heritage structures, sites and areas is an
ongoing process which must be monitored and managed.
Incremental as well as rapid transformation of the urban or rural landscapes, the waysof life, the economies or the natural environment can substantially or irretrievably
affect the authentic contribution that the setting makes to the significance of a heritage
structure, site or area.

10. Change to the setting of heritage structures, sites and areas should be managed
to retain cultural significance and distinctive character.
Managing change to the setting of heritage structures, sites and areas need notnecessarily prevent or obstruct change.

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practices.
Qualitative and quantifiable indicators should be developed to assess the contributionof the setting to the significance of a heritage structure, site or area.
Indicators for monitoring should cover physical aspects such as intrusion on views,
skylines or open spaces, air pollution, sound pollution, as well as economic, social andcultural dimensions.

Work with local, interdisciplinary and international communities for co-operation andawareness in conserving and managing settings
12. Co-operation and engagement with associated and local communities isessential as part of developing sustainable strategies for the conservation andmanagement of settings.
Inter-disciplinary engagement should be encouraged as standard practice inconserving and managing settings. Relevant cultural heritage fields include
architecture, urban and regional planning, landscape planning, engineering,
anthropology, history, archaeology, ethnology, curation and archives.
Co-operation with institutions and specialists in the field of natural heritage should also
be encouraged as an integral part of good practice for the identification, protection,presentation and interpretation of heritage structures, sites or areas in their setting.
13. Professional training, interpretation, community education and publicawareness should be encouraged to support such co-operation and sharing ofknowledge as well as to promote conservation goals, improve the efficiency ofthe protection tools, management plans and other instruments.
The experience, knowledge and tools developed through the conservation ofindividual heritage structures, sites and areas should be extended to complement themanagement of their setting.
Economic resources should be allocated to the research, assessment and strategicplanning of the conservation and management of setting of heritage structures, sites
and areas.
Awareness of the significance of the setting in its various dimensions is the shared
responsibility of professionals, institutions, associated and local communities, whoshould take into account the tangible and intangible dimensions of settings when
making decisions.

Adopted in Xi’an (China) on the 21st October, 2005.

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