Singapore Botanic Gardens is UNESCO World Heritage Site



SINGAPORE: -- The Singapore Botanic Gardens is now the Republic’s very first UNESCO World Heritage Site after receiving the World Heritage Committee’s nod of approval on Saturday, Today Online reported.

The decision was delivered by permanent representative of India to UNESCO Ruchira Kamboj at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee held at Bonn, Germany.

Leading the Singapore delegation in Bonn was Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong who said Singapore now has the honour and privilege of “being home to one of these world treasures.”

To qualify, the site must possess an “outstanding universal value” that reflects their unique position in global history. Likewise, they need to meet at least one out of the ten selection criteria to be successfully inscribed.

The Botanic Gardens met two of these criteria – it reflected an interchange of human values and illustrated a significant stage in human history.

Preparation work for the gardens’ listing started five years ago. In 2010, Singapore conducted a feasibility study on the possible sites to be put up for inscription and the earlier contenders included Little India, Chinatown, Fort Canning, among others.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/singapore-botanic-gardens-is-unesco-world-heritage-site


-- Thai PBS 2015-07-06

Bit of a joke, given that places like Phimai Historical Park have yet to receive this designation. The Botanic Gardens are 'nice' ... but 'world heritage'??

Bit of a joke, given that places like Phimai Historical Park have yet to receive this designation. The Botanic Gardens are 'nice' ... but 'world heritage'??

Well most of the world's rubber comes from SE Asia and the first rubber trees in SE Asia were planted in the gardens. Also where would Thailand's orchid industry without the pioneering work done by the gardens in orchid hybridisation? And so on.

wow, very nice. congrats

Bit of a joke, given that places like Phimai Historical Park have yet to receive this designation. The Botanic Gardens are 'nice' ... but 'world heritage'??

Have you visited?

Agree about Phimai, also a great place.

Bit of a joke, given that places like Phimai Historical Park have yet to receive this designation. The Botanic Gardens are 'nice' ... but 'world heritage'??

Have you visited?

Agree about Phimai, also a great place.

Yep, been there many times. Lived in Singapore for 15 years...

Bit of a joke, given that places like Phimai Historical Park have yet to receive this designation. The Botanic Gardens are 'nice' ... but 'world heritage'??

Well most of the world's rubber comes from SE Asia and the first rubber trees in SE Asia were planted in the gardens. Also where would Thailand's orchid industry without the pioneering work done by the gardens in orchid hybridisation? And so on.

Why does the source of Thailand's 'orchid industry'--especially given that it's a hybridisation process--qualify a place for World Heritage status??? [Note the words, 'world' and 'heritage']. SE Asia's first rubber trees? Same issue. There are sites (such as Nimrud and Harappa) that are thousands of years old and represent important milestones in the evolution of civilisation that don't have full status.