Deputy Minister for Culture, Hotels and Tourism U Aye Tun attended the two-day 4th Council Meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia (ACHA), held in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China, on 17-18 October.
On the morning of 17 October, the deputy minister met Mr Qiao Yunfei, head of China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration, at the meeting hall of the Liangzhu Narada Resort in Hangzhou.
During the meeting, the deputy minister said that Myanmar would actively participate in ACHA’s future action plans. He also mentioned that the Thanaka cultural tradition, an element of intangible cultural heritage, had been submitted for inscription on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, with a final decision expected in December this year.
Mr Qiao Yunfei highlighted the importance of preserving ancient palm-leaf manuscripts, which constitute a shared cultural heritage of China and Myanmar. He also emphasized the benefits of practical training programmes in disaster management before, during and after disasters for the protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, expressing a desire for continued cooperation.
On the morning of 18 October, the deputy minister attended the opening ceremony of the 4th Council Meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia (ACHA), held at the Jade Cong Ballroom of the InterContinental Hangzhou Liangzhu.
In the evening, the deputy minister attended the council meeting at the Narada Hall of the Liangzhu Narada Resort.
During the meeting, cultural ministers, deputy ministers, secretaries, directors-general and ambassadors from 12 countries, including Myanmar, delivered remarks on behalf of their respective countries. A panel discussion on “Protection of Cultural Heritage at Risk” was also held, during which representatives from Myanmar, Iran, Cambodia and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) shared their perspectives.
The deputy minister and his delegation returned to Myanmar by air on the evening of 19 October. — MNA/TH
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