Song Xinchao, deputy director of the State Administration of cultural relics, spoke at the meeting. Photographed by Liu Feng of Xinhuanet

Fuzhou, July 20 (Xinhua) (Liu Feng) on July 18, the theme side meeting of the 44th World Heritage conference “protection and research of Maritime Silk Road heritage” was held in Fuzhou. Experts and scholars jointly discuss the protection of the heritage of the Silk Road and the cross-border joint application for the world heritage of the silk road.

Song Xinchao, deputy director of the State Administration of cultural relics, said that the maritime silk road is a witness and continuation of the interaction and coexistence of different cultures of mankind. In recent years, China has made a series of positive achievements in the protection, research, exhibition and interpretation of the maritime Silk Road heritage and international exchanges. He said that China will continue to strengthen international consultation and cooperation with international organizations such as UNESCO and countries along the maritime Silk Road, jointly protect the heritage of the maritime Silk Road, carry out thematic research, explore transnational joint World Heritage application strategies, and jointly protect, inherit and make good use of the precious historical and cultural wealth of all mankind.

Jing Feng, director of the Asia Pacific Department of the World Heritage Center, reviewed the “road of dialogue: overall research on the Silk Road” project carried out by UNESCO and the series of World Heritage applications of the Silk Road promoted by this opportunity. He encouraged all countries to continue to carry out exchanges and cooperation under the framework of the silk road.

Teresa Patricio, President of the International Council of monuments and sites, said that the application for the world heritage of the maritime silk road needs to develop a temporal and spatial framework, strengthen dialogue, respect and understanding, set an overall strategy, define the contribution of each heritage site to highlighting universal values and the relationship between them, and study the relationship between heritage sites in the process of change. She said that this meeting has taken a very important first step, and the research on the maritime Silk Road framework should be further strengthened in the future.

The side meeting also held a picture exhibition on the protection and research of the heritage of the maritime Silk Road to show the heritage protection achievements of the cities of the maritime Silk Road alliance.

The side meeting was hosted by the State Administration of cultural relics, jointly organized by the alliance of cities for the protection and joint application of the maritime Silk Road for world cultural heritage and the China Academy of cultural heritage, and co organized by the China Association for the protection of historic sites and sites.

About 50 people attended the meeting, and about 100 people attended the meeting online. Photographed by Liu Feng of Xinhuanet