Building on international relationships and a program of knowledge exchange that commenced in 2012, the 2017 Ausheritage international symposium and workshop on Taiwan’s Kinmen Island was the sixth visit by Ausheritage members.

The mission was held between 14 -17 June and, as in previous years, participants came from public sector organisations (both national and local government), universities, the private sector (essentially local SMEs), interested citizens and students. Approximately 30 people attended the international symposium held at Quemoy National University, 40 for the first session of the workshop program at the Qionglin Civil Defence Exhibition Hall on 16 June. About 30 people were involved in the group-work and site analysis components of the ‘hands on’ workshop during the late morning and afternoon conducted on 16 June.

The workshop, Qionglin Civil Defence Hall, Kinmen Island (Photo: Mansell)

The focus of the program was to examine and review UNESCO’s strategic objectives for World Heritage management, known as the 5Cs: the 4Cs (Credibility, Conservation, Capacity building and Communication) which came out of the Budapest Declaration by the World Heritage Committee in 2002, and were modified at the 31st World Heritage Committee Meeting in 2007 in New Zealand by the addition of a fifth C – Communities. The use of the 5Cs structure provided a very useful framework for both symposium lectures and workshop discussions. One of the exciting outcomes of the program’s presentations and discussions emanating from Peter Phillip’s contributions was the emergence of a notional sixth C – COLLABORATION.

The 5Cs
Credibility
Conservation
Capacity building
Communication
Communities.

Presenters, planners and participants were pleased with both program content and delivery, especially with regard to the lecture program. There was sufficient time available for some good Q&A engagement following presentations and the lectures provided plenty of quality visuals.

Bruce Pettman leads site discussions outside the Qionglin local convenience store, Kinmen Island (Photo: Mansell

Overall, the program was successful in generating and exchanging shared insights and learnings based on applied approaches to cultural heritage management and conservation in both countries. It highlighted that community outreach and collaboration are essential key ingredients to supporting good heritage outcomes for special places.

Program delivery was supported by five participants from Australia under the AusHeritage banner and four colleagues from Taiwan. The host team from Taiwan included:

– Professor & Director, Dr. Alex Ya-Ning Yen, Department of Architecture and Center for Cultural Sites Rehabilitation and Development, China University of Technology, (CUTe), Taipei;
– Dr. Yi-Jen Tseng, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, National Quemoy University, Kinmen;
– Dr. Mei-yin Lin, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, National Quemoy University, Kinmen; and
– Dr. Ng Sin-Eng, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, National Quemoy University, Kinmen.

Professor Alex Yen (CUTe), Kinmen VI, project leader (Photo: Cook)

The following team from the China University of Technology, Taipei, ably provided logistical support.

– Violette Lee, Research Assistant;
– Laura Fan-Jiang, Research Assistant;
– Juing Chang, and
– Wendy Lee.

The AusHeritage team comprised:

– Sharon Veale, Chief Executive Officer, GML, Sydney and Canberra and AusHeritage Head of Delegation
– Peter Phillips, Orwell and Peter Phillips, Sydney, and Vice-President, ICOMOS
– Bruce Pettman, Director Heritage Asset Advisory, Public Works Advisory, Sydney
– Ian Cook, Emeritus Chair AusHeritage and Principal edgewhere, Sydney; and
– Heather Mansell, Principal edgewhere, Sydney

Group photo at the close of the International Symposium and Workshop Program June 2017- Qionglin Civil Defence Hall, Kinmen Island (Photo: Juing Chang)

The mammoth task of English-Mandarin-English translations was again undertaken by Professor Alex Yen from the China University of Technology.

International Symposium Delegates, National Quemoy University (Photo: Mansell)