Cultural heritage projects abroad: Major-country diplomacy with action

via CGTN, 20 June 2023: Editorial highlighting China’s efforts to globalize its cultural heritage involved restoration projects in Mongolia, Cambodia, Uzbekistan, and Nepal.

The decade-long restoration of Cambodia’s Chau Say Tevoda was the first project we undertook abroad. Back then, we faced the challenge of assembling over 4,000 scattered pieces of the temple. The extent to which it should be restored is governed by international conventions. We also have our own preservation guidelines in China, which advocate for leaving things as they were with minimal intervention, like the way the Old Summer Palace was restored.

The unique circumstances in Cambodia required us to deviate from that principle because the Chau Say Tevoda is a sacred place in the hearts of the Cambodian people. Therefore, it must be restored in full through surveying, scanning, digital modeling, simulated restoration, etc., eventually bringing together more than 4,000 components of the temple piece by piece. This project served as a pioneering initiative where the Chinese team ventured abroad for cultural exchange, and the entire restoration process went very smoothly.

The success of the Chau Say Tevoda restoration project led to a chain of subsequent projects in Cambodia, including the restoration of Ta Keo, the Royal Palace site, and Preah Vihear Temple.

Source: Cultural heritage projects abroad: Major-country diplomacy with action – CGTN