The Second Council Meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia kicked off in Qingdao, Shandong on June 19, gathering 150 representatives from 23 countries and two international organizations.

The two-day conference welcomed Uzbekistan and Maldives as new member countries of the alliance, with Honduras becoming the alliance's first partner country, bringing the total number of member countries, observer countries, and partner countries to 20.

During the meeting, China and Honduras signed an agreement to promote exchanges and cooperation in the field of cultural heritage conservation.

Established in April 2023, the Asian Cultural Heritage Conservation Alliance is intended to strengthen the protection of Asian cultural heritage, deepening exchanges between Asian civilizations and contributing to the progress of human civilization as a whole.

The Second Council Meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia was co-hosted by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the People's Government of Shandong Province. During the meeting, an exhibition showcasing the achievements of Qingdao's cultural heritage conservation was held, along with activities demonstrating the city's intangible cultural heritage (ICH) skills, showcasing cultural and creative products, highlighting the achievements of Qingdao's cultural heritage conservation, and promoting outstanding traditional culture.

Qingdao, the host city, has a rich cultural heritage which it has long made efforts to preserve. It is a nationally renowned historical and cultural city, with human activity dating back to over 50,000 years ago and a farming cultural history dating back to nearly 7,000 years ago.

Currently, Qingdao has 13 historical and cultural districts, 550 cultural heritage protection units, nearly 200,000 movable cultural artifacts, and 207 ICH items at the municipal level and above, including 16 national-level ICH items and 72 provincial-level items.

Qingdao has a rich cultural heritage which it has long made efforts to preserve. [Photo/WeChat account: qd12301]