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More UNESCO cultural heritage sites in Southeast Asia

To be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, States Parties are encouraged to submit their preliminary list, that’s, a listing of those properties that every State Party intends to think about for nomination.

The list may include properties that it considers to be cultural and/or natural heritage of outstanding universal value and due to this fact suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List.

In past years, Southeast Asian nations have actually submitted applications to UNESCO – and their lists shouldn’t be considered exhaustive – to the World Heritage Center a minimum of one 12 months before submitting any nomination.

Do you ought to know which objects or places have been nominated?

Recalling the person nations within the region, below are potential sites that could possibly be recognized as the subsequent UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites, together with justifications for his or her Outstanding Universal Value:

INDONESIA

YOGYAKARTA HISTORICAL CITY CENTER

Year of application: 2017

Image caption (© image owner)

The historic center of Yogyakarta was built as a representation of a microcosm based on Javanese cosmology and philosophy. This was manifested in its specific location within the broader landscape, in addition to within the plan of town center.

The city is positioned between the Merapi volcano and the South Sea and is surrounded by three rivers, each on the east and west. Such a landscape is seen as a reproduction of the Universe and even an excellent place to ascertain the Kraton (Palace) as the middle of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta, which can be considered the middle of the world.

The plan of the historical center of Yogyakarta was designed by Hamengkubuwana I to mark the cycle of human life, from its very starting until the reunification of the soul with God. This universal value was embodied within the predominant elements of town center along the so-called Yogyakarta’s philosophical axis.

In addition, some individual elements of town center also represent other basic concepts of human nature, i.e. maintaining harmonious relationships between God – Man – Nature through unity of the Lord (the unity of God with Man and the King together with his people) and create a peaceful and exquisite world.

The Javanese philosophy implemented within the plan for the historic center of Yogyakarta is actually a mix of local wisdom, Hinduism and Islam, resulting from the extreme cultural interactions of the assorted civilizations of Java. These are definitely necessary universal values.

MALAYSIA

ROYAL BULUM STATE OF PERAK, MALAYSIA

Year of application: 2017

Kooi Waterfall in Royal Bawah |  Not yet Temengor
Kooi Waterfall in Royal Bawah | Not yet Temengor
Source: Belum Outdoor Adventure
Source: Belum Outdoor Adventure

The state park is an element of the 27,891 ha Central Ridge Forest (CFS) Peninsula Malaysia.

It has been recognized as a biodiversity hotspot in Malaysia because it accommodates diverse ecosystems and habitats for a lot of species of wildlife, lots of that are endemic, rare, vulnerable or otherwise threatened in Malaysia and the region.

These bode well for environmental education in regards to the ecosystems found inside them and for scientific research on biodiversity not just for Malaysians but in addition for people within the region and the world. This might be considered one other natural gift of humanity’s heritage.

Topographically and geologically, Royal Belum State Park represents the northern end of the Main Range (Banjaran Titiwangsa), the backbone of Peninsular Malaysia, where nature (i.e. exogenous or surface processes) has dynamically shaped landforms for over 200 million years.

The mountain range separates the western and eastern coasts of Peninsular Malaysia and extends over 480 km south to the North Johor area.

In the east, the granite rocks of the predominant range entered a 25 km wide belt of heavily altered rocks. These metamorphic rocks were interpreted to be of Ordovician to Permian, shallow to deep marine sediments that belonged to the Eastern Malaya block with a powerful affinity for Cathasia.

This was a singular geological meeting area of ​​the southern supercontinent of Gondwana and the northern supercontinent of Laurasia. In Southeast Asia, it’s the land area of ​​best importance for the evolution of tropical geology and biodiversity.

These geological formations became the substrate or template for the ever pristine vegetation of that era until today, and the forests were home to probably the most ancient, wealthy and diverse wildlife of the tropical humid biome.

THAILAND

PHRA That PHENOMENON, associated historical sites and associated landscape

Year of application: 2017

Source: Tom Rolling Stone
Source: Tom Rolling Stone
Wat Phra That Phanom |  Wikimedia Commons
Wat Phra That Phanom | Wikimedia Commons

Phra That Phanom represents the noblest and most conscious type of Buddhist architectural and artistic expression within the Mekong region of Thailand, and particularly within the northeastern region of the country. The monument embodies the essence of Buddhism as interpreted and accepted by the people of the region since time immemorial.

A creative architectural response to the undying faith and spirituality of the people, the Phra That Phanom Stupa represents a singular achievement, combining the normal grammar of ancient Chams and Khmer sacred representation with traditional elements of Buddhist architecture and the symbolism of the Buddhist Relic stupa, while connecting with the regional spirit of the Mekong and native artistic decorations.

This stupa thus became probably the most distinctive and tangible symbol of the region’s spiritual identity, the inspiration for a lot of other Buddhist stupas later inbuilt Nakorn Phanom, in addition to in greater northeastern Thailand.

Phra That Phanom has further inspired the design and creation of many local folk arts and crafts, similar to the “ancestral relic shrine” commonly produced and utilized by villagers within the region, and commemorative stupas as a motif for individual worship. It has also been adopted because the predominant design of the symbol of Khon Kaen University and on Thai national stamps.

LAOS

HIN NAM NO NATIONAL PROTECTED AREA

Year of application: 2016

The project in the Hin Nam No regions is part of a program called
The project within the Hin Nam No regions is an element of a program called “Managing the environment and climate-relevant resources in Laos” | Travel to Indochina

The project within the Hin Nam No regions is an element of a program called “Managing the environment and climate-relevant resources in Laos” | Travel to Indochina

Hin Nam No NPA is taken into account to be of Outstanding Universal Value as a consequence of the evolution of its complex and spectacular karst landscape and the variety of habitats that support high biodiversity, including a variety of worldwide threatened species, endemic species and specialist karst species.

The complexity and variety of the geological and geomorphological features presented within the Hin Nam No NPA provide an excellent example of the predominant stages within the formation of a mature and spectacular karst landscape.

The geological history of the exposed rocks dates back to the early Carboniferous period (350 million years ago), and the geomorphology of the karst has evolved to modern times. The Khammouane Formation, a 1,100 m thick predominant sequence of limestone, was formed throughout the Middle Carboniferous to Early Permian. The morphogenetic evolution of karst is the results of a posh tectonic history.

The Indosian Orogeny occurred within the Middle Triassic (247 million years ago). This significant episode of compression, uplift, and erosion affected much of Southeast Asia, transporting many carbonates to subsurface positions and causing a protracted episode of karstification. The karst was then buried under thick layers of Late Triassic, Jurassic and Early Cretaceous sandstones and shales.

In the Paleogene (65 million years ago), a brand new uplift began, resulting in large-scale erosion.

As the limestone steadily became exposed again, karst evolution resumed in earnest. Indosian karst formations have been exhumed and rejuvenated and play a major role within the evolution of recent karst.

PHILIPPINES

Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary

Year of application submission: 2015

Turtle Island, Philippines |  Pinoy, stop
Turtle Island, Philippines | Pinoy, stop
Source: Constantine Alexander
Source: Constantine Alexander

It was declared a wildlife reserve under Proclamation No. 171 of August 26, 1999 and recognized as exceptionally high (EH) for biodiversity conservation.

The only primary breeding habitat for green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) within the Philippines and the one primary breeding site in the complete ASEAN region and 11vol crucial breeding site on the earth. Sea turtles play a vital role within the marine ecosystem as they maintain a healthy coral reef and seagrass, which provides food for fish and small crustaceans.

On May 31, 1996, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of Malaysia, declaring the Turtle Islands because the Turtle Islands Cultural Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA), the world’s first transboundary marine turtle protected area for the conservation and protection of area. During the height season from May to July, 80 to 150 turtles lay eggs each night.

Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) additionally they occur, but with a better density of nests, unlike the green turtle. In terms of flora diversity, 200 species have been identified, of which 10 species of mangroves grow on Boan and Taganak islands, and 19 species of ferns are found on all six islands. Thirty-four species of birds have been observed throughout the Turtle Islands.

Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary was included within the launch of the Model Marine Protected Area Network (MPA Network) on May 14-15, 2014 in Manado, Indonesia. Its aim is to guard sea turtles and their habitats. Connectivity work and collaboration inside CTI’s Coral Triangle Initiative), Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME).

CAMBODIA

BANTEAY PREI NOKOR TEAM

Year of application: 1992

Banteay Prei Nokor, Cambodia |  Wikipedia
Banteay Prei Nokor, Cambodia | Wikipedia

The Banteay Prey Nokor temple complex is especially famous for the Wat Nokor temple positioned in Khum in Kompong Siem, 1,200 meters from Kompong Cham town. The monument was built of sandstone and laterite and dates from the last years of the reign of Jayavarman VII.

It consists of a central tower surrounded by 4 laterite wall enclosures. The central tower of the Vat Nokor temple is decorated with motifs typical of Bayon with Buddhist scenes on the pediments. It can be believed that the temple complex was for a while the seat of Jayavarman VII, from where he expanded his influence over nearby principalities.

Local people sometimes call this temple “Wat Angkor”, although a plaque on the temple entrance officially gives the temple’s name as Wat Nokor Bachey.

The temple has many distinguishing features other than being the biggest ancient temple complex in Kampong Cham Province. One of those features refers back to the incontrovertible fact that it’s built of black sandstone, which makes it stand out from other temples of the period, which are sometimes built of brick or reddish sandstone.

The temple has an inscription that continues to be open for visitors to see (and even touch) within the temple’s central pavilion. The temple also boasts the “Chartre” effect, where one other, more modern temple in a very different style was built around the unique Angkorian structure, creating a mix of architectural styles.

However, Vietnam, Brunei and Singapore haven’t yet submitted any application for nomination to the World Heritage List.

Source: UNESCO official website

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