MoRAC Deputy Minister leads delegation to ACHA meetings & cultural heritage visits in Chongqing

THE delegation led by Deputy Minister Daw Nu Mra Zan of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, which attended the second General Assembly and the third Council Meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia, along with related exhibi­tions and programmes held in Chongqing, People’s Republic of China, from 26 to 29 November, returned to Yangon by air on 29 November.

 

The meetings were held to enhance cooperation in the preservation and protec­tion of cultural heritage and to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding among member countries.

 

During the trip, the depu­ty minister and her delegation arrived in Chongqing on 25 November and, at 10 am on 26 November, attended a meeting with Deputy Director-Gener­al Mr Xie Bing, representing China’s National Cultural Her­itage Administration and Exec­utive Secretary-General of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage Conservation in Asia (ACHA), together with other responsible ACHA officials.

 

In the afternoon, the dele­gation visited the China Three Gorges Museum, where they viewed a special exhibition on the rock carvings of the Dazu Rock Carvings World Heritage Site in Chongqing, as well as galleries displaying ancient ar­tefacts unearthed during the construction of the Three Gorg­es (the area where the three riv­ers, including the Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers, converge). In the evening, the delegation joined representatives from other countries at a welcome dinner hosted by ACHA officials.

 

On the morning of 27 No­vember, the second Gener­al Assembly of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia (ACHA) was held at Liangjiang Hall, Chongqing Yuelai Inter­national Conference Centre in Chongqing. The meeting was chaired by Vice Minister Rao Quan of the Culture and Tour­ism of China, Administrator of the National Cultural Heritage Administration. Officials and representatives from 26 invit­ed member countries attended, including the Deputy Minister of Myanmar and her delegation.

 

During the assembly, ACHA officials delivered opening re­marks, followed by country-spe­cific presentations. Repre­senting Myanmar, the Deputy Minister reported on the pres­ervation of Myanmar’s cultur­al heritage, as well as interna­tional cooperation efforts. She highlighted the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with the People’s Republic of China to restore and protect the Thatbyinnyu Temple, and noted activities conducted under the Lancang-Mekong collaboration programme. These included art and painting seminars, mario­nette shows, and workshops on film and cinematography organ­ised by the National University of Arts and Culture (Yangon/ Mandalay) with financial sup­port from China. The Deputy Minister also presented on the documentation and recom­mendations made by Chinese experts regarding damage to Mandalay Palace, Inwa Muse­um, and various pagodas and stupas in the Mandalay and Inwa areas following the major Mandalay earthquake. Addition­ally, she made suggestions for establishing a network across Asia to support the preservation of cultural heritage throughout the continent.

 

The third Council Meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Her­itage in Asia (ACHA) was held at 3 pm in Joy Hall, Chongqing Yuelai International Confer­ence Centre. The meeting was presided over by ACHA Secre­tary-General Mr Kong Vireak and attended by officials from ACHA member countries, in­cluding the deputy minister of Myanmar and her delegation.

 

In the evening of 27 Novem­ber, the ACHA delegates toured the Yangtze River on a pleasure cruise and enjoyed cultural per­formances, including a drone show showcasing Chinese her­itage and traditional Chinese dance and art performances.

 

On 28 November, the dele­gation visited the Cultural Her­itage sites in Dazu District in Chongqing, which feature the World Heritage-listed Dazu Rock Carvings. — MNA/MKKS