On July 26, local time, the side event titled “Exploring Attributes of Outstanding Universal Value Based on Chinese Case Studies” was held in Busan, the Republic of Korea, during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee. Co-organized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) of China, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and the People’s Government of Sichuan Province, the session focused on the study of the attributes of cultural heritage values and shared China’s practical experience in the management and protection of World Heritage sites, drawing widespread attention from experts from various countries.
This side event was grounded in the joint research project undertaken by the NCHA and ICOMOS under the same title. The project aims to clarify the definition and application methods of “attributes”—a key term in the concept of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of World Cultural Heritage—in order to address issues such as distorted value expression and blurred protection boundaries caused by terminological misunderstandings, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of global heritage nomination, protection, and management.
Huang Xiaofan, Deputy Director of the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, delivered the keynote speech. He presented four case studies—West Lake in Hangzhou, the Ancient Tea Forests of Jingmai Mountain, the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, and the Sanxingdui–Jinsha Sites—to illustrate China’s practical approaches to heritage interpretation and preservation, with a focus on value attributes. Among these, the protection and management practices of the Sanxingdui–Jinsha Sites represent the most mature theoretical understanding of “value characteristics” of cultural heritage in China at the current stage, and the most in-depth practical application of the value-characteristic framework.
Teresa Patrício, President of ICOMOS, highly commended China’s pragmatic efforts in leading terminological research and promoting cross-cultural dialogue. Experts from Zambia, Germany, and other countries noted that China’s experience offers a scientifically sound and adaptable model for heritage preservation in their own nations.
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