Maritime Silk Road International Cultural Forum concluded With initiatives launched to promote cooperation in the field of cultural heritage of the Maritime Silk Road

The President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man, concluded her speeches at the closing ceremony

Jointly presented by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government and the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, the China Academy of Cultural Heritage, the Guangzhou Secretariat of City Alliance for Maritime Silk Road Heritage Conservation and World Heritage Nomination, and ICOMOS China, and co-organized by the University of Macau and the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies, the Maritime Silk Road International Cultural Forum was held on 16 and 17 November. At the closing ceremony, representatives from several countries and regions, international heritage institutions and those from Chinese cities along the Maritime Silk Road jointly launched the “Macao Initiatives for the Protection of the Maritime Silk Road and its Nomination for World Heritage”, further promoting the cooperation and various partnerships in the field of the cultural heritage related to the Maritime Silk Road, as well as facilitating the nomination of the Maritime Silk Road for the UNESCO World Heritage List. The hosting of this Cultural Forum in Macao has emphasized the role of Macao as “a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist”. Several experts and scholars from home and abroad presented their research results and delivered speeches, which yielded fruitful results.

This Cultural Forum is of particularly great significance, commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the promulgation of the UNESCO’s Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man, concluded her speeches at the closing ceremony, effectively communicating the idea that Macao is a city with a profound history of multicultural exchange and diverse cultural heritage related to the Maritime Silk Road, and an important transitional point on the Maritime Silk Road, as well as, a member of the City Alliance for Maritime Silk Road Heritage Conservation and World Heritage Nomination, which can serve as a bridge for exchanges and cooperation on the various issues related t othe Maritime Silk Road. This set of conditions puts in evidence Macao’s unique characteristics and resources, but also enables the positioning of Macao as “One Centre, One Platform and One Base”. Through this Forum, it is hoped that international exchanges and cooperation in the field of the Maritime Silk Road research will continue to be promoted, in order to provide a solid theoretical basis for the next phase of the intended conservation of the cultural heritage of the Maritime Silk Road, also serving to facilitate and support the future research work related to the Maritime Silk Road. In the future, IC will continue to fulfil its role as a relevant management institution for the nomination of the Maritime Silk Road for the UNESCO World Heritage List, continuing to invest resources, strengthening the conservation and use of historical sites of the Maritime Silk Road, and facilitating the nomination of the Maritime Silk Road for the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Taking advantage of the platform of the “Maritime Silk Road International Cultural Forum” that was held in Macao, the participating representatives from countries and regions, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Portugal, United States and Bangladesh, as well as those from international heritage institutions, such as, UNESCO and ICOMOS, and those from Chinese cities along the Maritime Silk Road, jointly launched initiatives for the conservation of the Maritime Silk Road and its nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage List, particularly covering the following topics: 1. Deepening of international cooperation; 2. Further consolidation of academic foundations; 3. Promotion of the nomination process; 4. Strengthening the safeguard capabilities; 5. Further development of digital surveys and multimedia interpretation resources; and 6. Further revitalisation measures. These initiatives aim to promote more cooperation in the field of the cultural heritage of the Maritime Silk Road, strengthening of conservation focused on the cultural heritage of the Maritime Silk Road, and pursuit of the nomination of the Maritime Silk Road for the UNESCO World Heritage List within a framework of common values.

A number of authoritative experts and scholars, from home and abroad, were invited to this two-day Forum to deliver keynote speeches, on various themes, such as, “Conservation and sustainable development of the cultural heritage of the Maritime Silk Road” and “Historical and archaeological research of the Maritime Silk Road and its definition in the scope of space and time”. Over 100 people from all sectors of society attended the Forum, both online and in-person, including government representatives from the member-cities of the City Alliance for Maritime Silk Road Heritage Conservation and World Heritage Nomination, experts and scholars with studies related to the Maritime Silk Road, members of the Cultural Heritage Committee and the Cultural Development Consultative Committee of Macao, as well as, representatives of Macao’s higher education institutions. In addition to the participating experts, scholars and the general public, the Forum was also broadcast livestream through a thematic website that was created for this specific purpose, which gained strong support and recorded a high number of attendances from the public. In addition, the Macao Chinese Orchestra presented melodious folk music at the closing ceremony of the Cultural Forum. Macao pipa performer Victoria Liang and guitarist Mário A.C. Trabuco presented musical pieces in Portuguese style combining traditional Chinese music elements, allowing the guests to experience the characteristics of the integration of the Chinese and Portuguese cultures in Macao.

As an important transitional point alongside the historic Maritime Silk Road, Macao has been actively working to achieve this nomination since 2015, in the context of an initiative that is presided by the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China. Macao also joined the Cities Alliance of the Maritime Silk Road Conservation and World Heritage Nomination, in May 2019. The organizers hope that this important symposium can further strengthen the technical support of the nomination, with the sharing of further academic research on related topics, at the same time that it enabled to put in evidence the positive role of Macao in the field of cultural heritage conservation and sustainable development, facilitating the positioning of Macao as “One Base”.

In conjunction with the Forum, the organizers also launched a series of activities inspired by the theme of the Maritime Silk Road, including a photography exhibition, thematic guided tours, parent-child workshops and WeChat prize games. All are welcome to participate. The guided tours are available for group reservations of 10 or more people. For enquiries and registration, please contact IC through the telephone contact 2855 8747, from Mondays to Sundays, from 9am to 6pm.

IC strictly follows the anti-epidemic guidelines of the Health Bureau and implements appropriate measures for all of its activities. During the Forum’s activities, IC will further reinforce the cleaning and disinfection of the venues and all equipment, and implement crowd control measures. All participants must wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks, scan the “Venue QR Code” (also known as “Venue Code”) and the “Macao Health Code” of the day, and comply with the anti-epidemic and crowd control measures on-site. All participants of the workshops must present one of the following documents: proof of completion of the whole course of the COVID-19 primary vaccination series (which includes two doses of the inactivated vaccine or the mRNA vaccine) since at least 14 days before, or a negative nucleic acid test result, issued within 7 days (self-paid). Those with fever or respiratory symptoms are not allowed to enter the venues. For more information about the series of activities and the content of the papers and speeches presented in the Maritime Silk Road International Cultural Forum, please visit the thematic website (www.culturalheritage.mo/MSRICF/2022).