China to ban use of Tibetan sky burial for tourism. (Some travel agents have shown disrespect to the tradition)

China has set out to make a new law to regulate the traditional Tibetan practice of sky burial, which involves feeding bodies of the dead to birds. Official sources in Tibet have indicated that the use of sky burial sites as tourist attraction may be banned.
"It will be the first time for Tibet to regulate sky burials using legislation, which shows respect and offers protection to the millennium-old tradition," the official media quoted Samdrup, an official with the standing committee of the regional People's Congress.

The Regional People's Congress of Tibet, the local legislature, recently passed a bill to better regulate sky burials, covering issues like management of the site, environmental protection and qualification of ritual hosts. The purpose is to "better protect sky burials".

Chinese government has stopped the use of burial sites for tourism on several occasions in the past three decades, but the local officials have allowed it from time to time for developing tourism, sources said.

State media said that the traditional ritual has become controversial after tourists guides began leading tour groups to view the ceremony. There have been complaints that some travel agents have shown disrespect to the tradition. Tibetans and Mongolians cut bodies of the dead, and feed them to vultures and other predatory birds. It is regarded an act of generosity and a ritual that allows the soul to ascend to heaven.

The Tibetan government issued a provisional rule in 2005 that banned sightseeing, photographing and video recording at such burial sites, or publishing reports and pictures describing the rituals.

The law has been violated extensively as thousands of tourists crowd around the burial sites to watch the traditional practice. Even some monks are known to be involved in guiding tourists to the burial sites for collecting donations for their shrines. 
   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-to-ban-use-of-Tibetan-sky-burial-for-tourism/articleshow/46004209.cms
   24/1/15---
Related:

• China accelerates tourism development in Tibet

• Tibetans enjoy splashing fun on bathing festival

• Double threat for Tibet (Climate change and human development are jeopardizing the plateau’s fragile environment.)

• Tibet's intangible heritage well-protected, says official

Minister proposes restoration of Rome's Colosseum arena floor

Italy's culture minister has backed a proposal to rebuild the floor of Rome's Colosseum, allowing visitors to stand in the arena where gladiators once fought.

In ancient times, a wooden floor covered with sand was built on top of tunnels through which animals, fighters or performers were brought into the arena. For more than a century, this underground structure has been exposed.

Italian archaeologist Daniele Manacorda suggested in July that a floor should be put back in the Colosseum.
Not only would tourists appreciate it, but the amphitheatre could again be used to stage events, Manacorda wrote in the July issue of "Archeo" archaeological journal.

"I like (the idea) very much," Culture Minister Darion Franceschini wrote on Twitter on Sunday. "All is needed is a bit of courage."

The Colosseum is currently undergoing a privately funded restoration, one of several projects in Italy meant to save its cultural landmarks from decay as money from the government dwindles.
 [buenosairesherald.com]
2/11/14

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China accelerates tourism development in Tibet

Tourism authorities have been working to make southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region a major destination, a senior tourism official said Friday.

"Tibet is the last classic treasure on the map, with its religious mystery, sound environment and many historic sites," Du Jiang, deputy director of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), told Xinhua in an interview.

Compared with other regions in China, Tibet has plenty of space to develop, given its rich and relatively untapped tourist resources, Du said

Tibet received 12.91 million domestic and overseas tourists last year, up 22 percent from the previous year, according to CNTA data.

The influx of tourists brought Tibet 16.5 billion yuan (2.7 billion US dollars) of revenue in 2013, or more than one-fifth of the local economy.

Du stressed that tourism authorities and local governments will strike a balance between development and ecological protection. 
Sources: Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
26/9/14
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Related:

• Double threat for Tibet (Climate change and human development are jeopardizing the plateau’s fragile environment.)

• Tibet's intangible heritage well-protected, says official

• China to upgrade transport infrastructures in Tibet (will also build more airports in Tibet)

• Tibetans enjoy splashing fun on bathing festival

Tibet's intangible heritage well-protected, says official

LHASA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government's efforts to preserve intangible heritage in Tibet and other ethnic regions have proven effective, said sources at the first Tibet development forum Wednesday.

"Of the 386 million yuan (62.7 million U.S. dollars) for cultural heritage preservation allocated by the central treasury between 2002 and 2009, about a quarter was spent in ethnic regions including Tibet," said Li Jianhui, a culture promotion official with the State Ethnic Affairs Commission.


Over the past eight years , the central treasury allocated a total of 97.2 million yuan to intangible heritage in Tibet Autonomous Region, said Li.

The plateau region is home to more than 1,000 intangible heritage items, including the famous Tibetan opera and the Epic of King Gesar, which have been listed as World Intangible Cultural Heritage items by UNESCO.

Preservation of cultural essence is aimed at passing on the heritage to future generations, said Li.

"A total of 4 million copies of the Tibetan language edition of King Gesar have been published, averaging one copy for each Tibetan adult," he said.

Other forms of intangible cultural heritage in Tibet include traditional music, dancing, craftsmanship and traditional herbal medicine and folkways.

More than 100,000 articles, nearly 2,000 audio and video clips and 45,000 pictures have been collected since Tibet started a census on intangible cultural heritage in 2006, according to figures provided by Tibet's regional government.
http://english.cntv.cn/2014/08/14/ARTI1407974763302590.shtml
14/8/14
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Related:

• China to upgrade transport infrastructures in Tibet (will also build more airports in Tibet)

  • UN expresses concern of China’s detention of Tibetan singers and musicians

Central and Southwest China: Concern for ancient buildings after floods

Concerns have been raised over the protection of historic towns as persistent downpours in Central and Southwest China have flooded Fenghuang, a renowned tourism destination in Hunan Province.

More than 120,000 people were relocated amid power cuts in Fenghuang on Wednesday.

The rain, however, has begun to slacken and water levels in Fenghuang have dropped, with many people returning to their homes on Thursday.

Electricity along the Tuojiang River, which runs through Fenghuang, has not been restored, although water supplies to parts of the town have been brought back online, a staff member of Fenghuang's flood prevention office surnamed Gao told the Global Times.

Reconstruction work formally started on Thursday, Gao said. No casualties had been reported as of press time.

Pictures of Fenghuang submerged by floodwaters have aroused worries among netizens and experts on ancient architecture.

Yang Zhi, owner of a traditional inn alongside the Tuojiang River, told the Global Times that everything in his inn had been washed away by floods and estimated his losses at more than 200,000 yuan ($32,234).

He blamed the government for inaccurate warning by saying that the water level of the Tuojiang River would only hit 1.5 meters above normal. The river eventually crested at 3 meters over its normal level, "So people were not prepared."

Many traditional buildings, some dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), were made of wood and stone and could be severely damaged by floods, Zhu Qiuli, an expert with the National Architecture Institute of China, told the Global Times.

Old towns have drainage problems and the Fenghuang  government obviously did not realize that the buildings need protection from water in such a rainy region, Zhu said.

It is also a warning for other old town governments, he added.

Wu Rucheng, director of the flood prevention office, admitted that excessive development along the river bank has changed the river's profile, making it more prone to serious flooding.

Fenghuang is currently being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Status.

Other parts of Hunan Province were also hit by severe rains. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, more than 8 million people across seven provinces including Hunan were affected by the rainstorms which started on July 10.

A total of 34 people died in the flooding, while 21 remain missing. Some 400,000 people were relocated and 9,300 houses collapsed, while 384,300 hectares of crops were damaged, incurring a direct economic loss of more than 5.2 billion yuan.

• Rainstorms are also expected in Hainan Province as Typhoon Rammasun makes landfall in South China on Friday. 

By Liu Sha Source:Global Times Published: 2014-7-18  
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Related:

• Ancient town under water as downpours hit central China

"THE 7 MOST ENDANGERED" PROGRAMME LAUNCHED. This programme will identify endangered monuments and sites in Europe....

European Investment Bank teams up with Europa Nostra to save Europe's Cultural Heritage 

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The Hague/Luxembourg, 24 January 2013 - Europe's leading heritage organisation Europa Nostra has launched today its new flagship programme ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ with the European Investment Bank Group, represented by the EIB Institute, as its founding partner. This programme will identify endangered monuments and sites in Europe and mobilize public and private partners on a local, national and European level to find a sustainable future for those sites.

“Cultural Heritage is Europe's greatest asset: our crude oil, our gold reserve. Our heritage is Europe's bread and butter, as much as it is Europe's heart and soul. Together with the European Investment Bank, Europa Nostra is proud to launch ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ programme. If we all work together, we can stimulate a true renaissance of Europe’s unique cultural heritage “ said Plácido Domingo, President of Europa Nostra.

“The preservation of the cultural heritage in Europe is a huge task and without any doubt a common responsibility for all of us. The European Investment Bank is therefore pleased to be the founding partner of Europa Nostra’s new programme of “The 7 Most Endangered”. Its contribution to this project via the EIB Institute will be to provide analysis and advice on how funding could be obtained for the projects selected within this programme.” added Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank.

The first list of ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ will be announced during Europa Nostra’s 50^th anniversary Congress in Athens on 16 June 2013. An international Advisory Panel will prepare the short list of 14 most endangered sites and the final list of 7 will be selected by the Europa Nostra Board. Nominations of most endangered sites can be made by Europa Nostra member or associate organisations or Europa Nostra’s country representations, the full list of which is available on the Europa Nostra website.  Deadline for the submission of nominations is 15 March 2013. (For the nomination form click here)

After the selection of ‘The 7 Most Endangered’, the experts selected by the EIB Institute and the other associated partners will visit each of the 7 sites in close consultation with local stakeholders and will propose realistic and sustainable action plans for saving those sites. The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) based in Paris will be one of the associated partners for this phase of the programme. The plans would include advice on how funding could be obtained, e.g. by drawing on EU funds or, in appropriate cases, on EIB or CEB loans. Europa Nostra’s extensive network of heritage organisations will mobilise local communities and public or private bodies to strengthen the ownership and commitment for the 7 selected heritage sites in danger.

 

‘The 7 Most Endangered’ is inspired by a successful programme of the US National Trust for Historic Preservation, based in Washington. This programme will not only identify a priority list of heritage sites in danger; it will also propose concrete rescue plans indicating what could and should be done to save those sites. Besides generating public interest and enthusiasm the programme will bring people together to create sustainable solutions through feasibility studies, technical advice, capacity and funding assistance, project management support and wide-scale publicity. In this way, ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ will work as a catalyst for action.

.europanostra.org

25/01/13