ICCROM is pleased to present a new publication now available for free download, Asian Buddhist Heritage: Conserving the Sacred.
This publication contains the papers presented at a Forum series organized by ICCROM and the Cultural Heritage Administration of the Republic of Korea, held in Seoul in 2013. It is the first instalment of a five-book series that will cover some of the most pertinent topics in cultural heritage preservation and management in Asia.
Around the world, religious sites dominate the lists of protected heritage properties. As a result, the needs of the communities, who regard these sites for their sacred values, are confronted with the demands of heritage conservation practices and site management.
This book is a collection of papers on addressing these concerns, covering the Buddhist heritage sites in Asia. It takes into consideration Buddhist philosophy and how that shapes the definition of cultural heritage and its preservation. What should be conserved and restored, and who should be involved in this process? How is the Buddhist world view reflected in contemporary Asian society, and how does that translate into the management and maintenance of a sacred place? How do the tangible and intangible attributes of Buddhism relate to established conservation theory, ethics and practice?
For cultural heritage practitioners, policy makers as well as communities including teachers and students in Asia or elsewhere in the world, this book offers a range of viewpoints and case studies highlighting challenges and successful outcomes of conserving living religious monuments. Though the focus is on Buddhist heritage, many of the issues are universal, and the views presented by the authors can offer a fresh perspective to a pertinent question in the culture sector.