Representatives of the Cultural Affairs Bureau attend the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and exchange views with the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China

MACAU, July 29 - The 48^th Session of the World Heritage Committee is being held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 19 to 29 July 2026. The President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, Leong Wai Man, led a delegation from Macao to be part of the delegation from China, and exchanged views with the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China and international experts in the field of world heritage conservation.

The Sessions of World Heritage Committee serve as the standing communication mechanism between the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and the heritage sites worldwide. Each year, the Committee reviews matters pertaining to the state of conservation of the world heritage sites, conservation strategies for endangered heritage sites and evaluation of new nominations. It also conducts in-depth discussions on monitoring, conservation and management strategies for the world heritage.

In the on-going Session, a total of 33 nomination projects are being reviewed. China’s nominated property, the “Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites”, was successfully approved by the Committee on 25 July and was inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming China’s 61^st World Heritage Site. The Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government extends its most sincere congratulations for this achievement. Located in the north-eastern part of Jiangxi Province, the “Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites” are situated in a hilly region that is abundant in porcelain stone and kaolin clay resources, with convenient water and land transportation channels. The property encompasses five core areas: the Town Area Porcelain Production Center, the Hutian Ancient Kiln Site, the Gaoling Porcelain Clay Mining Site, the Changling Porcelain Stone Mining Site and the Jiaotan Firewood Production Area. Asrepresentative remains of Jingdezhen’s handmade porcelain production system from the 10^th to the 19^th centuries, this property illustrates the development of China’s porcelain-making techniques, ceramic artistry and the porcelain industry, constituting an important testimony on the profound impact of China’s handmade porcelain industry in the development of the global ceramics industry, civilizational exchange and mutual learning.

During the Session, the Cultural Affairs Bureau delegation also attended two side events: one event on the “Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites”, hosted by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the People’s Government of Jiangxi Province, and organised by ICOMOS China and the Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration; and another event on “Understanding the Attributes of Outstanding Universal Value through Case Studies in the Chinese Context”, hosted by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, ICOMOS and the People’s Government of Sichuan Province, and organised by ICOMOS China and the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration. On these occasions, the Macao delegation exchanged views with the Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of China and Director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Rao Quan; the President of ICOMOS, Teresa Patrício; representatives of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); as well as delegates, experts and scholars from various countries, gaining insights into cutting-edge international practices in the field of world heritage conservation.

Through its participation in the Sessionof the World Heritage Committee, the Cultural Affairs Bureau effectively developed important international exchange of experiences in the field of world heritage conservation. In the future, the Bureau will continue to maintain close communication and collaboration with the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the World Heritage Centre. This year, the “Centre for the Preservation and Transmission of the Cultural Heritage of the Palace Museum in Macao”will collaborate with relevant UNESCO agencies to host two international training programmes for heritage conservation professionals in Macao. These programmes will further enhance Macao’s role as “A Base”for exchange and cooperation, promoting international exchanges and collaboration among heritage conservation professionals, continuing to strengthen Macao’s cultural heritage conservation system and capacity-building, and consolidating the already developed solid work to ensure the continued protection of the Region’sworld heritage sites.