An international workshop for cultural heritage conservation in urban and rural Pingyao was founded on May 26.

The Urban-Rural Heritage Conservation Pingyao International Workshop will undertake a thorough evaluation of the current status of Pingyao’s heritage protection efforts, before initiating its own projects to protect the ancient heritage of Pingyao and its surrounding villages.

The workshop will aim to advance the transformation of the county and revive rural areas.

With a different set of themes each year, the workshop will establish a heritage protection international think tank staffed with top experts, including from top Chinese and international universities, in order to develop the best and most effective methods for protecting the heritage of the ancient county.

Pingyao will organize various related academic activities and promote public education in heritage protection, according to Shi Yong, a top government official of Pingyao.

The workshop aims to develop itself into a high-end scientific research platform for conducting research and developing plans and guidance for urban-rural cultural heritage protection in Pingyao, which it is hoped can serve as a model for other sites of important cultural heritage.

A launch ceremony for the Urban-Rural Heritage Conservation Pingyao International Workshop takes place in Pingyao county on May 26. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

Shi Yong, a top government official of Pingyao, addresses the launch ceremony, May 26. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]