One of the main tasks of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is the provision, protection and preservation of cultural and natural sites of outstanding value to humanity. To this end, they adopted the 1972 Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which, with 187 signatory countries of the world's most important legal international instruments. Since 1997, UNESCO also a list of intangible cultural heritage of mankind, for whose protection they adopted the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The inclusion in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage of humanity Prestige offers a high priority for regular monitoring of cultural heritage, support in terms of its preservation and its management, staff training, and if necessary financial resources. The protection of the site remains the responsibility of his native country that it also has an appropriate legal and regulatory framework to offer and put in regular intervals, the UNESCO report on the condition of the site needs.
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| Shaolin monks & Mona Lisa * 1 |
The Shaolin temple for many years sought to be recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The efforts to host the temple was later followed by the list of World Heritage sites as a further objective of a recording of Shaolin Kungfu in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
First interest in a recognition as world cultural heritage of the temple was in 2001. It began with a "land consolidation" to: the "Shaolin village" called collection of kung fu schools and retailers in the immediate vicinity of the temple, which used the names "Shaolin" for their commercial purposes, was dissolved - instead were green areas created.
In 2002 began the Shaolin temple to try to officially begin the application process for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. First, had the necessary documents are submitted to the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, as the application takes place at UNESCO through the respective home country. In the same year was held by UNESCO, a conference for the presentation of World Heritage sites, to their guests was also Shi Yongxin, abbot of the Shaolin Temple. His speech was recorded by both the UNESCO and the Chinese government with interest. The desire of the Shaolin Temple for recognition as world cultural heritage learned worldwide support from Individuals, institutions and the media.
before from 2004 prepared the neighborhood near the Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng City, an application for status as a world cultural heritage for a collection of various monuments, which included the Shaolin Temple. It has taken many measures to repair and protect the monuments involved, a monitoring system developed and created an appropriate legal basis. The Shaolin Temple in 2004, underwent the most extensive renovation of his campaign's recent history.
was in this context for the Shaolin Temple for the inclusion of the Song Mountains in the Global Network of Geoparks UNESCO on 13 February 2004 by interest. The Geopark predicate UNESCO is landscapes and geological formations of particular scientific interest, exceptional beauty and rarity given, including their related sites of ecological, cultural and archaeological value.
Over the years, had Shi Yongxin claim in relation to World Heritage CANDIDATES MUST always greater use of the relevant government bodies for the Shaolin Temple, where his side were his political and religious authorities and his many political contacts helpful. Also has been involved in support of the application, the noble public relations firm Lehman Communications in London, a study of should prepare the Shaolin Temple as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism, with unlimited access to the archives of the temple.
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| Shaolin Monks - UNESCO * 2 |
for inclusion of a cultural object in the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO, each country may only be one per year single proposal submitted. After 2001, the Kunqu and 2003, the musical instrument Guqin been recognized by UNESCO as world intangible cultural heritage, the Shaolin Kungfu in China's short-listed for the proposal was in 2005. On 26 April 2005, but the vice-minister of culture Zhou Heping instead the nomination of the Uygur Mukam music known. Perhaps the reasoning was more secure and thus more promising.
China, which has given its size and diversity of cultures, an enormous wealth of intangible cultural treasures, and at the national level early effort for their preservation and protection was, at that time a strong and legitimate interest in more awareness and support these cultural treasures at the international level. The first list of intangible cultural heritage of China with no fewer than 501 items on 6 January 2006 in the China Cultural Relics News "published, as in her 279th Item Shaolin Kungfu named (nominated by the city of Dengfeng). This list was not compatible with international standards of UNESCO, and so on 20 May 2006 by the Chinese "State Counsil" published a second list with 518 elements. This list is as Shaolin Kungfu 289th Items in the "sports acrobatics and" is given and it is here in the company of Taiji, Wudang martial arts, Meihuaquan, monools traditional Chinese wrestling and football. After publication of the second list, a worldwide discussion broke out on the determination, definition and preservation of the intangible world cultural heritage, with its "theoretical and political minefields Pitfalls.
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| Shi Yan Zhuang - UNESCO * 3 |
2008 gave China the historical monuments in the Song Mountains, among which is the Shaolin Temple is, as a an application to UNESCO for World Heritage recognition. In May the following year, Shi Yongxin was traveling with a high-profile delegation of monks and martial monks of Shaolin Temple, the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris in France to forced there, the cultural and spiritual values of the Shaolin arts to present and the "International Festival of Cultural participate in diversity "of UNESCO. The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO at its meeting but announced in June 2009, the rejection of the application submitted last year. They failed because of an unauthorized multi-application, which was caused by deficiencies in communication between the Chinese government with the application responsible agencies.
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| Shaolin Monks-UNESCO * 4 |
The new application one year later under a lucky star. On the 34th Session of the World Heritage Committee UNESCO, from 25 July to 3 August 2010 in Brasilia, Brazil took place, the decision was made: the UNESCO officially announced that the "Historical Monuments of Dengfeng in the" heart of heaven and earth "(" 天地 之中 ")" to the list of world cultural heritage was. In its original version, this group of historic buildings is simply referred to as "Historic Monuments of the Song Mountains" and included two other monuments.
the "center of Heaven and Earth" includes the following 11 sites, located within a radius of about 40 sq km at the foot of Song Mountains near the city of Dengfeng in Henan Province of the People's Republic of China are:
- the architectural complex of the Shaolin Temple, to be counted alongside the Shaolin Temple and the Temple of the founding patriarch, and the Pagoda Forest,
- the Songyue Temple Pagoda,
- the Dengfeng Observatory,
- historical watchtowers Taishi Que , and Qimu Shaoshi Que Que.
been recognized as world cultural heritage historical monuments Dengfeng of some of the best examples of ancient Chinese architecture represented in the field of religion, science, technology and education. Its construction extended over a period of nine dynasties, respectively. 2000 years ago. UNESCO sees them both reflections of the different types of views of the "center of Heaven and Earth" and the power of the mountain as a center of religious devotion.
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| Shaolin Temple * 5 |
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| Temple of Founding patriarch * 6 |
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| Pagoda Forest * 7 |
came to the decision of UNESCO in the media are not at first sight unjustified fear that for Visitors from the Shaolin Temple, the declaration of the temple would have as a world cultural heritage adverse financial consequences, namely a strong increase in the price of the admission fee. For example, increased in the case of Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan province after recognition as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the ticket prices by more than double. In 1997 recognized as a World Heritage City Lijiang in Yunnan, the local authorities have demanded last year with the help of roadblocks by the additional tourists' fees to protect the old town. " For this year as a UNESCO World Heritage recognized Danxia landscapes have been justified in advance of price increases.
The Shaolin Temple but there are plenty of other, more interesting ways to use the newly acquired status in material terms, especially since the entry fee for the Shaolin Temple is already on the top of the range for ordinary Chinese temple. The largest share of the ticket prices of Buddhist temples in China also receives the state that it does sometimes turn to pay for renovations or subsidized. The time in which the Shaolin Monastery of the low proportion of revenues from entrance fees, that belongs to him, was dependent on is long gone, and so it is no wonder that Shi Yongxin, abbot of the Shaolin Temple as now belongs to the advocates of the abolition of entrance fees for Buddhist temples. rejected
A few days before the official announcement of the inclusion of the Shaolin Temple in the list of world cultural heritage Qian Daliang, general manager of the "Intellectual Property and Intangible Assets Management Center of Shaolin Temple "for a price hike from the entrance fees. Shi Yongxin was also known in later interviews, an increase in entrance fees do not intend. He stressed that the decision of UNESCO for the monks was indeed a privilege, but also the pressure and the responsibility to protect the temple, reinforcing. He also announced that the Shaolin Temple still seeking recognition of Shaolin Kungfu as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
Photos 1-4: Voyage of the Shaolin monks in May 2009 on the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France
Video: Excerpts from the presentation of the martial arts Shaolin monks in the UNESCO
