Liangzhu forum promotes need to protect world's cultural heritages

By protecting cultural heritages and safeguarding diversity among civilizations, societies around the world can be seen and understood by others, officials and experts said during the third Liangzhu Forum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

The three-day event, which concludes on Monday, hosted more than 300 participants who engaged in in-depth discussions and shared best practices on world cultural heritage protection. Four thematic subforums focusing on topics such as cultural roots, innovation in practice, sustained legacy and future vision were also held.

"Through the platform of the Liangzhu Forum, we can let everyone know that 5,000 years ago, there were such rich and integrated cultures on the vast land of China," said Wang Ningyuan, lead archaeologist of the Liangzhu Ancient City and its water conservancy system project, at a subforum titled "Cultural Roots: Timeless Wisdom and Contemporary Value of Ancient Civilizations".

The subforum brought together the Egyptian, Mediterranean and Mayan civilizations, along with those of China's Yellow River and Yangtze River basins, in a shared space for dialogue, seeking to explore the universal patterns underlying the development of early human civilizations through multidimensional comparisons.

"Through exchanges at the forum, international archaeologists can more clearly understand the characteristics of Chinese civilization, as well as make comparisons with other major civilizations around the world, so they can see the beauty of harmony while appreciating each other's beauty," Wang said.

Ana Sofia Fonseca de Oliveira Braga, secretary-general of the International Cultural Tourism Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, stressed the critical role cultural sites play worldwide.

"I believe that the diversity of cultural heritage sites is extremely important because they represent humanity and our contributions from all times, ages and spaces," she said. "In a way, we feel all represented somehow — being nowadays or our ancestors — it's important to have that representation. So the communities that see themselves represented, they feel they are seen."

But there are still gaps and challenges in achieving such mutual understanding.

"It's clear that China is now really thinking in terms of civilizational heritage — how regions, religions and people with very different cultural backgrounds can come together in more tolerant and respectful ways. But we are in a moment of rising geopolitical tension, so that's not an easy challenge," said Tim Winter, research cluster leader of inter-Asian engagements at the National University of Singapore's Asia Research Institute. "Within China, there's a very strong understanding and awareness of different cultural forms and histories. Outside China, it is a lot less well-known. Some people know about Dunhuang, but Jingdezhen is not so well known. So the challenge is also communicating that to different audiences."

Mario Cutajar, chairman of Heritage Malta, underscored the importance of investing in major cultural heritage restoration projects during a keynote speech at the main forum.

"National museums and cultural heritage institutions undertake a major cultural heritage restoration project almost every year. These investments are not luxuries, but necessities," he said. "Cultural heritage helps foster cultural identity; historical artifacts and sites embody our traditions, beliefs and memories, serving as a physical manifestation of who we are and where we come from."

Maria Guadalupe Espinosa Rodriguez, director of the Archaeological Zone, Museum and Visitor Center of Chichen Itza, said, "The value of such a forum speaks for itself. I believe its influence will extend to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and to archaeological and cultural sites recognized by UNESCO around the world."

2025 marks two significant milestones — the 40th anniversary of China's accession to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and the 20th anniversary of UNESCO's Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.