NESCO Heritage Protection Carried Out by NCKU

NESCO Heritage Protection Carried Out by NCKU

(TAINAN, Taiwan, July 31, 2008)---Antigua Guatemala historical site protection group, led by Dr. Min-Fu Hsu, Dean of College of Planning and Design of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), is the first and the only group ever in Taiwan to join the protection job for world cultural heritage acknowledged by United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The protection process has been recorded by in-site researchers and the results will be collected as fundamental materials for domestic relics and historical site education.

Capuchinas Museum, displaying the Spanish sculptures and paintings which was collected by National Protection Council of Antigua Guatemala, highlights the contribution from Taiwan and NCKU in Chinese, English and Spanish language.

According to Dr. Hsu, the project, carried out by NCKU, is a diplomatic and cross-department affair, coordinated by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Council of Cultural Affairs. This collaboration provides NCKU academic communication with Guatemala in Latin America as well as relationship with University of San Carlos in Guatemala. “The project of historical site protection will strengthen the understanding for working model of world cultural heritage protection and deepen the confidence for our country to carry out the international collaboration project based on the experience of Antigua Guatemala heritage preservation,” Dr. Hsu added. All the preservation process will be recorded and collected for diplomatic propaganda to feature Taiwan’s hardworking and achievement on world cultural activities.

Antigua Guatemala was the capital during the period of Spanish colonization in the 16th century with current population of around 30 thousands and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Antigua Guatemala Cultural Heritage Protect project is the first cultural aids with the aim to launch new model of collaboration with diplomatic alliance.