Bid For 15 World Heritage Sites In Bangkok

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Bid for 15 World Heritage Sites in capital

By The Nation

Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn, along with 15 other Bangkok landmarks will be shortlisted for World Heritage nominations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), a senior official from the Fine Arts Department said yesterday.

Along with the temple by the Chao Phraya River, Wat Pho, the Memorial Bridge and the throne hall dating back to King Rama I's reign will also be put on the tentative list, which will be submitted to Unesco next year, Tharaphong Srisuchart said.

The other nominees include the Phra Sumeru Fort, the Sunanthalai Building in Rajinee School, the Bangkok Noi train terminal and two Buddhist temples.

Most of the landmarks to be shortlisted were designed by late HRH Prince Narisara Nuvativongse, whose centennial in 1963 was marked by Unesco.

The Temple of Dawn is known worldwide and unofficially recognised by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. "But this time the nomination will follow World Heritage regulations and the shortlist will be completed by next year," Tharaphong said.

-- The Nation 2011-04-19

[bangkokburning]

UNESCO heritage is just a marketing gimmick. Penang was just given this distinction and Kathmandu's Durbar Square's all enjoy the same despite refuse, traffic, horns, modern buildings and satellite dishes. Same in Kuta Bali.

Wat Arun - bah, it's not even old. The American White House may very well be older.

[Suradit]

UNESCO heritage is just a marketing gimmick. Penang was just given this distinction and Kathmandu's Durbar Square's all enjoy the same despite refuse, traffic, horns, modern buildings and satellite dishes. Same in Kuta Bali.

Wat Arun - bah, it's not even old. The American White House may very well be older.

How old something is, is not really one of the criteria:

Until the end of 2004, there were six criteria for cultural heritage and four criteria for natural heritage. In 2005, this was modified so that there is only one set of ten criteria. Nominated sites must be of "outstanding universal value" and meet at least one of the ten criteria.^[7]

Cultural criteria

• (i) "represents a masterpiece of human creative genius"

• (ii) "exhibits an important interchange of human values, over a span of time, or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning, or landscape design"

• (iii) "bears a unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared"

• (iv) "is an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural, or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history"

• (v) "is an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture, or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change"

• (vi) "is directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance

Natural criteria

• (vii) "contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance"

• (viii) "is an outstanding example representing major stages of Earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features"

• (ix) "is an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems, and communities of plants and animals"

• (x) "contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation"

"

Hopefully the designation would prompt the government to support the preservation & maintenance of the site(s) and prevent any of them from becoming a mall or parking lot in the future. It would be nice if more could be done to preserve and maintain some of the buildings and sites which contribute to the historic character of Bangkok.

Edited April 19, 2011 by Suradit

[rgs2001uk]

UNESCO heritage is just a marketing gimmick. Penang was just given this distinction and Kathmandu's Durbar Square's all enjoy the same despite refuse, traffic, horns, modern buildings and satellite dishes. Same in Kuta Bali.

Wat Arun - bah, it's not even old. The American White House may very well be older.

How old something is, is not really one of the criteria:

Until the end of 2004, there were six criteria for cultural heritage and four criteria for natural heritage. In 2005, this was modified so that there is only one set of ten criteria. Nominated sites must be of "outstanding universal value" and meet at least one of the ten criteria.^[7]

Cultural criteria

• (i) "represents a masterpiece of human creative genius"

• (ii) "exhibits an important interchange of human values, over a span of time, or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning, or landscape design"

• (iii) "bears a unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared"

• (iv) "is an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural, or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history"

• (v) "is an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture, or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change"

• (vi) "is directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance

Natural criteria

• (vii) "contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance"

• (viii) "is an outstanding example representing major stages of Earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features"

• (ix) "is an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems, and communities of plants and animals"

• (x) "contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation"

"

Hopefully the designation would prompt the government to support the preservation & maintenance of the site(s) and prevent any of them from becoming a mall or parking lot in the future. It would be nice if more could be done to preserve and maintain some of the buildings and sites which contribute to the historic character of Bangkok.

Klong Toei market should have no problems being added to the list if we use the criteria above.

[bangkokburning]

Thanks for that but even with those criteria - Wat Arun, it's nothing special, sorry. Not only that - its better viewed from afar than on the spot.