The Porticoes of Bologna go to China

The seventh Taihe Forum was held recently at the Imperial Palace of the Forbidden City of Beijing – and the Site Manager of the Porticoes of Bologna was invited.

The occasion was particularly important, as it was the centenary of the opening of the Palace Museum. After having hosted the emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the Palace was turned into a public cultural institution on 10 October 1925.

The seventh Taihe Forum was organised by the Palace Museum and the Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation, with the support of the Vanke Foundation, as an international collaborative platform for the promotion of exchange and cooperation in cultural heritage. The summit brought together over 300 experts from international organisations in 26 countries. The topics addressed concerned the development of museums, the use of technology in cultural conservation and the sustainable development of UNESCO World Heritage properties.

This latter topic was the focus of the Site Manager’s presentation, entitled Bologna and its Porticoes. From History to Sustainability.

The initiative was attended, on behalf of the host country, by the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center and the China Academy of Cultural Heritage. International guests taking the stage included leaders from UNESCO and ICOMOS, numerous ambassadors, university professors, directors of the main international museums and Chinese and international site managers.

At the end of the event, the Initiative for Green Sustainable Development for World Heritage Sites (attached here) was read out in various languages (including Italian).