12th US/ICOMOS International Symposium

Response to Earthquakes in China

Mr. Tong MingkangPresident of ICOMOS CHINA

Dear Mr. Gustavo Araoz, President of ICOMOS,Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, good evening!First of all, please allow me, on behalf of ICOMOS China,to express my heart-felt thanks to US/ICOMOS for yourinvitation and hospitality offered to me and my colleagues.I would also like to thank the conference organizers forgiving me such a good opportunity to deliver apresentation here this evening.

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演讲题目

It is my pleasure to be in New Orleans, a beautiful citywith rich cultural resources. Its name reminds me thehurricane that devastated so many people and so muchproperty. People around the world have watched yourrecovery and restoration of cultural properties. As youknow, after the earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province,we found ourselves in similarly unfortunate circumstance.

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新奥尔良照片

Throughout Chinese history, rich and diverse culturalheritage has been created and preserved. Today, China has37 World Heritage properties, 400,000 registeredmonuments and sites; 110 cities and 251 towns or villagesproclaimed as historically and culturally famous places.

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世界遗产照片

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文保单位照片

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名城名镇照片

However, China suffers some of the world’s most seriousnatural disasters that occur with great frequency andintensity over vast areas, and with considerable losses.Along with climate change, the losses caused byearthquakes, snowstorms and ice hazards even totaled1000 billion Yuan in 2008.

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地震数据饼图

ON May 12, 2008, a major earthquake hit WenchuanCounty in Sichuan Province.

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地震示意图

Statistics indicate that it was China’s most destructiveearthquake in more than 60 years.

地震烈度图

While causing huge life and property losses, thisearthquake destroyed many invaluable cultural properties.In the worst-hit area of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxiprovinces, 376 monuments under state or province-levelprotection, as well as 4,000 pieces of museum collection,were damaged.

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受损文保单位分布图

The Qiang ethnic group is considered one of the oldestethnic peoples in China and regarded as a “living fossil”of Chinese civilization. Cultural heritage resources of theQiang suffered huge losses in the earthquake.

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羌族村寨照片

Great damages have been caused to the Qiang village inTaoping, Lixian County and the Qiang village in Heihu,Maoxian County, both of which have been included inChina’s Tentative List for World Heritage.

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桃坪碉楼地震前后对比照片

Damages to historic buildings caused by the earthquakeare categorized by four types:A. Buildings that completely collapsed;

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领报修院地震前后对比照片

B. Structures heavily damaged and buildings that partiallycollapsed;

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伏龙观、二王庙地震前后对比照片

C. Structures partially damaged;

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结构部分受损照片

D. Structures left basically intact, but with decorationsdamaged.

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装修受损照片

Relevant parameters include routine maintenance,distance from the epicenter, and stability of mainstructures and foundations. Routine maintenance is vital tothe protection of oriental wooden and brick-and-stonestructures against earthquake, including weeding,ventilating, protecting against humidity, ant attacks andreinforcing decayed components.

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镇国寺白塔照片

A thousand-year old brick pagoda in Sichuan, for example,cracked from the root of plants due to failure to uprootplants growing out of its exterior.

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镇国寺白塔照片

单击出现开裂动画

After the earthquake, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage