Fuji wins heritage label

TOKYO, 2 May 2013: Japan’s Mount Fuji will likely be added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites next month after an influential advisory panel to the UN cultural body made a recommendation, officials said Wednesday.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a consultative body to UNESCO, told the Japanese government that the almost perfectly conical Fuji is appropriate for registering as a World Heritage site, the agency for cultural affairs said in a statement.

Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 metres (12,460 feet), is expected to be formally listed in June when the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO meets in Cambodia, said an official at the foreign ministry.

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Historical sites restored

AYUTTHAYA, 30 April 2013: Thailand’s Fine Arts Department reports most of the flood-damaged historical parks in Ayutthaya have been restored about 18 months after floods devastated  the central plains province.

The department on Monday said renovations at Thailand’s old capital of Ayutthaya, was now 80% complete.

On Sunday, the department general director, Sahawat Naenna, led a high-level UNESCO delegation to visit the Ayutthaya’s historical park, centuries-old temples and the anti-flood embankments on the banks of the Chao Phya River, built to keep the annual floods at bay.

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Halong Bay to host carnival.

QUANG NINH, 9 April 2013: Home to one of Vietnam’s top natural attractions, Halong Bay, Quang Ninh province attracted 2.8 million visits January to March, according to data released by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Of the total, 775,000 were international visitors, down by 2% on the same period in 2012. Most visitors to the province will spend time at Halong Bay considered a must-see attraction for travellers visiting Hanoi and northern Vietnam.

In March alone, the province received 1 million tourist arrivals, of which 227,000 were foreigners.

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Bus ban at Angkor Wat

SIEM REAP, 3 April 2013: To help conserve the Angkor Wat world heritage site, buses carrying  24 people or more will not be allowed into the park area.

Siem Reap and Apsara Authority officials in charge of the Angkor temple conservation area that covers more than 400 hectares implemented the temporary ban on buses, despite objectives from bus owners who say the ban will lead to a loss of tourism revenue.

An unnamed source at Apsara was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post last month saying the decision was made last January, but the ban was only enforced 11 March and will continue until after the water festival, 13 to 15 April.

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UNESCO guides flood plan

AYUTTHAYA, 28 March 2013: World Heritage sites in Ayutthaya province will be the first in the country to have a full-scale flood risk mitigation plan supported by UNESCO and ADB.

Ayutthaya was the worst hit province during the 2011 flood and hundreds of historical sites were damaged with some still undergoing restoration.

UNESCO Bangkok director, Gwang-Jo Kim, said: “Disaster risk mitigation is one of the top priorities for World Heritage protection identified by the World Heritage Committee.”

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Heritage sites face flood threat

SUKHOTHAI, 18 January 2013: Once an ancient kingdom of Siam the historical destination, Sukhothai, faces the serious threat of annual flooding that could ultimately destroy a chain of heritage sites that are close to the province’s rivers .

This is the message provincial officials need to present to the mobile Thai Cabinet meeting due to open today just 100 km north of the historic town. The province will propose an allocation of Bt110 million in the next budget when the Cabinet meets 18 to 20 January.

Sukhothai governor, Sumitra Srisombat, said the Bt110-million budget plan has been drafted and will be proposed to the Cabinet for approval during its meeting that will be held in nearby Uttaradit.

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Axe falls on Angkor trees

SIEM REAP, 13 December 2012: Cambodia’s deputy prime minister and the National Commission for UNESCO chairman, Sok An, warns that deforestation around the World Heritage Angkor Wat will degrade the views and scenic beauty of the temple surroundings.

Mr Sok An said the surrounding forest, known as Phnom Kulen, needed immediate attention to restore the natural beauty of the views from the temple complex.

Commercial enterprises, real estate developers and village communities cut the forest around the historical complex which is not fully protected by law.

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Public hearing on Preah Vihear

BANGKOK, 6 December 2012: The International Court of Justice will organise a public hearing, 15 to 19 April, next year, at The Hague in Netherlands on the territorial dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over the Preah Vihear temple.

Both countries will be allocated three sessions to present their arguments on interpretation of the ICJ’s 1962 ruling that granted Cambodia ownership of the 11th-century temple, which is perched on the ridge of a 525-metre high cliff.

Ownership of the temple has been a contentious issue between the countries for more than a century and a flashpoint in Thai politics.

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Temple on UNESCO waiting list needs repairs

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, 29 November 2012: Thailand’s Fine Arts Department said the golden spire on the chedi  at Wat Phra Mahathat is deteriorating and needs urgent restoration.

The province’s Fine Arts Bureau director, Anat Bumrungwong, said agency workers and technical staff are assessing the condition of the golden pinnacle.

“A close up photo of the spire found a rust-like solution leaking from the top of the cone-shaped spire,” he said. “The damage could be similar to a previous problem when plaster decayed some 20 years earlier.”

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Thailand to host cultural symposium

BANGKOK, 23 November 2012: The International Council on Monuments and Sites selected Sukhothai as a venue for the International Cultural Tourism Experts Symposium and ICOMOS ICTC Meeting & Workshop 2013.

The meeting will be held in November, 2013 at the well-known world heritage town.

Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration proposed its designated area, Sukhotha-Sri Satchanalai-Kampaengpetch Historical Parks, to be a candidate to host the symposium and workshop under the theme, “Sukhothai: Eatable World Heritage.”

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