Five sites in China awarded UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards

Cangdong Heritage Education Centre of Guangdong province. [Photo/UNESCO]

Project name: Cangdong Heritage Education Centre

Location: Guangdong province, China

Using a multi-pronged approach, the project to establish the Cangdong Heritage Education Centre has helped to reverse the gradual abandonment of this once-prosperous farming community in Guangdong Province. Located near the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages World Heritage property, the village contains noteworthy architectural typologies dating to the Ming Dynasty which the project has selected for conservation, resulting in the sensitive restoration of two ancestral halls, a defensive watchtower and the Furen Temple. By designing an outreach program targeting youth, the project has helped to raise awareness and concern about local heritage among the younger generation. The commendable efforts of community members, patrons and conservationists have realized an ambitious new vision for the revitalization of the village.