Global Heritage Fund is pleased to announce a new partnership with American Express (AMEX) in support of our China Heritage Program (CHP). The GHF-AMEX Partnership will focus on capacity building and leadership nurturing for site managers and the communities living in and around these heritage sites as well as on improving interpretation and visitor experiences at a diverse range of heritage sites. The activities proposed at each site will be designed according to their specific needs and our unique Preservation by Design methodology.
Since we launched the CHP in 2002, China has entered a new age of vitality for heritage conservation, where both the imminent threats to heritage and its value as a social resource are widely recognized. Our projects have provided technical support for relevant design and research, project facilitation, and managerial efforts. They have also funded small-scale, community-based conservation efforts to complement national efforts. Our programs throughout the country demonstrate a diverse set of heritage sites that feature unique sets of challenges in modern China.
Pingyao, Shanxi Province, presents the particular challenges of balancing protection and sustainable development of a historic urban city. We provided seed funding and managerial expertise during the initial stage of our work in Pingyao to establish a sustainable model that supported Indigenous residents in maintaining their historic courtyard houses. This program has won an Award of Merit in the 2015 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation and is now run independently by the local authority.
Our work in Pingyao included developing conservation practices for historic courtyards.
In Dali Village, Guizhou Province, we are working closely with both the government and the village community to further rural development and cultural preservation goals in accordance with modern best practices. Dali Village has generated more publicity, and tourist visitation has risen significantly. In addition, better accessibility and infrastructure in the village have enabled the development of more community-based businesses, including new economic opportunities for traditional textile handicrafts.
Read more about our work in Dali in the New York Times, and learn about our recent successes preserving the endangered traditional crafts of the ethnic minority Dong people.
In Dali Village, our project supports the traditional textile practices of Dong women.
Maijishan, Gansu Province, our newly minted project, is part of the Silk Road World Heritage Site and will benefit from international expertise on visitor and site management to complement the government’s ongoing conservation efforts.
Grottoes in Maijishan will benefit from capacity training and improved visitor management.
Our overarching goal is to bolster the cultural and economic value of the sites we are involved in and enable the communities around them to prosper. In addition to our catalytic work in conservation, planning, and community development, our projects increase public awareness of the importance of cultural heritage and environmental conservation, provide capacity building for local stakeholders, promote sustainable economic development, and inspire long-term support from local citizens.
This partnership is another important step in our mission to support community-driven conservation and protection for endangered heritage sites around the globe. Our work is possible thanks to the generous support of organizations such as American Express and donors like you. Thank you for your support.