International Day for Monuments and Sites
Youth passes the torch to safeguard our heritage. On the occasion of the 44th International Day for Monuments and Sites, April 17 witnessed the themed practical event titled "Youth Guardianship & Resilient Coexistence". Guided by Xi’an Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, the event was co-hosted by Xi’an Qujiang Daming Palace Site Protection Office, Daming Palace Research Institute, Shaanxi Tang Daming Palace Cultural Heritage Protection Foundation, and IICC-X, with support from the School of Cultural Heritage and the Medical Archaeology Research Center of Northwest University.
Zhao Fengyan, Deputy Director of Xi’an Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeology, delivers a speech
Li Shuai, Assistant to the Chief of Cultural Heritage Protection Division of Daming Palace Protection Office, delivers a speech
Empowering Academia, Inheriting Through Practice:
Unlocking the Code of Heritage Protection via Diverse Forms
International Day for Monuments and Sites
2026
The event featured a full range of academic and practical sessions to build a platform for knowledge learning and craft experience. Professor Zhao Congcang from the School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University, gave a lecture entitled Ancient Jade Culture of China’s Splendid Heritage. Starting with jade culture, he interpreted the profound connotations and inheritance lineage of Chinese heritage, guiding participants to feel the historical depth and cultural charm behind cultural relics.
Silk Road Heritage, Craftsmanship Passed Down
Dr. Li Erwu, Member of the Cultural Routes Committee of IICC-X, then delivered a keynote report World Heritage of Silk Road Cultural Routes. Integrating cutting-edge international theories and IICC-X’s practical achievements, he systematically illustrated the heritage values, conservation status and emergency response strategies of Silk Road cultural routes, offering professional insights for risk prevention and resilient inheritance of living heritage.
Following the insightful lectures, an interactive wooden bracket assembly workshop allowed participants to piece together Dougong components by hand. Through hands-on practice, they grasped the structural wisdom of ancient architecture and experienced the core connotation of heritage "resilience" and conservation logic, realizing the inheritance of traditional construction craft via craft activation.
FUTURE
Youth Passes the Torch to Safeguard the Future:
Jointly Building a New Defense Line for Living Heritage Conservation
International Day for Monuments and Sites
/ Empowered Youth, Heritage Guardians
Youth represents the hope of cultural inheritance and a fresh force in heritage protection. Centered on young people, this event adopted a multi-dimensional format of "Site Visit + Lecture + Practical Workshop", encouraging young generations to approach, understand and safeguard heritage, and shoulder the mission of heritage inheritance with youthful responsibility.
2026
/ Millennia-long Cultural Vein, Radiating New Vitality
The Daming Palace Site Area always upholds its original aspiration of large heritage site conservation and innovates models for site presentation and living inheritance. In the future, it will continue to cooperate with IICC-X and other partners to build more youth practice platforms, enhance capacities for living heritage conservation and emergency response, and revitalize the millennia-long cultural lineage in the new era.
2026
Passing the Torch: Twenty Years of Youthful Heritage Guardianship
International Day for Monuments and Sites
2026
Twenty years of glory, a torch passed down from generation to generation; guarded by youth, coexisting with resilience. This event serves not only a heartfelt tribute to the 20th anniversary of IICC-X’s founding, but also a vivid practice of the 2026 theme for International Day for Monuments and Sites. Taking this opportunity, Daming Palace will keep deepening the conservation, research and inheritance of cultural heritage, unite all sectors of society, especially young people, to build a solid safety barrier for living heritage, and allow the treasures of Silk Road civilization to be passed down perpetually and shine brightly.
FUTURE
Planner: Fu Xiao
Preliminary Review: Zhao Yun
Final Review: Wang Yi
