UNESCO announces Asia-Pacific heritage award winners
The winners of the 2024 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation have been announced, with eight outstanding projects from across the region recognised for their efforts in restoring and conserving heritage structures.
Bangkok (NNT/VNA) - The winners of the 2024 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation have been announced, with eight outstanding projects from across the region recognised for their efforts in restoring and conserving heritage structures.
The Inari-yu Bathhouse Restoration Project in Tokyo, Japan, received the Award of Excellence, UNESCO’s highest honour, for its exceptional work in preserving heritage while promoting social cohesion and community resilience.
This year’s awards attracted 52 entries from 14 countries, with the jury evaluating projects based on their understanding of place, technical achievements, and sustainability.
Two projects earned the Award of Distinction: the Gunan Street Historic Block Conservation Project in Jiangsu province, China, and the Abathsahayeshwarar Temple Conservation Project in Tamil Nadu, India.
Four projects received the Award of Merit, including Guanyin Hall Teahouse and Helou Pavilion in China, BJPCI in Mumbai, India, and the Observatory Tower in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts was presented to the Rabindhorn Building in Bangkok, Thailand, for transforming a school gymnasium into a functional and visually striking space.
The jury also gave special recognition to the Gunan Street Historic Block and Helou Pavilion projects for their contributions to socio-economic sustainability, aligning with UNESCO’s focus on cultural heritage as a driver of sustainable development.
Since its inception in 2000, the Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards have acknowledged 906 projects from 27 countries, encouraging private efforts and public-private partnerships in heritage conservation. The awards continue to celebrate the transformative potential of heritage projects in revitalising communities and cities across the region.
♚ The Call for Entries for the 2025 cycle will open in early 2025, welcoming diverse heritage projects from underrepresented countries across Asia and the Pacific./.
The principal chedi of Prayurawongsawas Worawihan Buddha temple (Wat) in Bangkok has been honoured with the Award of Excellence in the UNESCO 2013 Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
Thailand has recorded a decrease of 20% in low-quality imports, mainly from China, since imposing restrictions on cheap imports that are hurting business in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, government spokesperson Sasikarn Wattanachan said on December 9.
Thailand expects a tourism revenue of 62 billion THB (1.83 billion USD) during the upcoming New Year festival, up 23% over the same time last year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
The forum, which involves global experts and creative leaders from across 14 cultural sectors, aims to expand Thailand’s presence on the world stage through innovation and cultural exchange.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
