A ceremony to mark the achievements of the Daming Palace Hanyuan Hall Project will take place in Xi’an, China on today. Among those in attendance will be representatives from the governments of China and Japan, the Xi’an Cultural Relics Bureau, the Xi’an Conservation Institute of Daming Palace and UNESCO Office Beijing.

The project to protect and conserve Hanyuan Hall of Daming Palace was initially made possible by the provision in 1994 of funding from the UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust project. The choice of Daming Palace as a recipient of this funding was based on the prominent role of the site during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). During this period of open intercultural exchange between China and neighbouring states, the Palace served as the governmental centre of Tang politics with Tang emperors regularly hosting visiting Japanese delegations and other foreign dignitaries in Hanyuan Hall.

This status as an international, as well as national, meeting place highlighted Daming Palace as a cultural heritage site of global significance. Recognition of this unique value set in motion the goal of restoration and preservation of the remaining ruins after more than a millennium of environmental and human factors had contributed to its considerable erosion and depletion.

The two-phase project, begun in 1995 and completed in 2003, combined the expertise of Chinese, Japanese and UNESCO conservation specialists and utilized the very latest in scientific equipment and methodology. The main objectives established included the protection, restoration, and effective stabilization of the Hall’s foundations alongside on-site maintenance for the surrounding area. It was further envisioned that, upon completion, the site would serve as an historical and educational museum offering both the general public and visiting experts the opportunity to learn more about a significant part of Chinese civilization.

It is a great tribute to the project team, and a testament to the professionalism, motivation and skill of all involved, that the numerous threats to the site have been countered, all problems overcome, and the objectives realized. It is hoped that these combined achievements will serve as a useful reference for future restoration projects while offering a reflection of the success that can be achieved through international cooperation in the field of heritage conservation.

The closing ceremony will witness Dr Y Aoshima, Director and Representative of UNESCO Office Beijing, Mr. Tong Ming Kang, Vice Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China, and representatives of the Japanese Embassy, preside over the presentation of a new brochure on Hanyuan Hall of Daming Palace.

The brochure provides a detailed account of the differing stages and implementation process of the project, offering a useful and informative aide to all who visit the site. It represents a further illustration of what can be achieved in the field of heritage conservation through effective international cooperation.