STORY: China-funded project helps preserve cultural heritage in Pakistan
SHOOTING TIME: May 7, 2024
DATELINE: May 19, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:21
LOCATION: Islamabad
CATEGORY: SOCIETY/CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the heritage site
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MAAZ ALI, Volunteer
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CHEN ZHIGANG, Associate professor at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, director of the Guardians of Gandhara program
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): CHEN ZHIGANG, Associate professor at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, director of the Guardians of Gandhara program
5. various of the heritage site
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): CHEN ZHIGANG, Associate professor at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, director of the Guardians of Gandhara program

STORYLINE:

UNESCO World Heritage Site Takht-i-Bahi, one of the most prestigious Buddhist religious establishments in the ancient Gandhara region, is located in the country's northwest Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
   
Pakistan is rich in cultural heritage with a large number of historical cultural sites sprawling across the South Asian country. China and Pakistan took an extra mile to preserve the sites, including Takht-i-Bahi, under the Guardians of Gandhara program run by Chinese and Pakistani scholars and volunteers.

Talking to Xinhua, Maaz Ali, a teacher and conservation assistant at the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, KP, said that the main purpose of various educational projects was to make locals living near archeological sites aware of the heritage sites of Pakistan and rebuild their connection with cultural heritage.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MAAZ ALI, Volunteer
"We take these children to different museums. Actually, in naan classes we are discussing and giving them knowledge about the different archaeological sites, cultural heritage sites and ancient kings and different arts. Actually, these children are young guardians of Gandhara and they know about our cultural heritage sites. So, next time they will preserve these cultural heritage sites."
     
Chen Zhigang, associate professor at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and director of the Guardians of Gandhara program, said that China has established multi-level exchange relations with Pakistani governments, the archaeological bureau, museums and heritage sites.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CHEN ZHIGANG, Associate professor at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, director of the Guardians of Gandhara program
"We have cooperated with some local cultural heritage conservators, established contacts with some local communities, schools and families through them, and invited some children from families living around the heritage site to participate in our heritage education naan classes. We provide them with naan bread for their families when they finish learning every week. This not only helps to spread knowledge, to engage them to contact, recognize, understand and disseminate some of the values behind these heritages, but also helps them to build a sense of pride and purpose in their cultural heritage."

As International Museum Day is observed on May 18, Pakistan sought cooperation with China to further strengthen the protection of cultural heritage.
   
The State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China and the National Heritage and Culture Division of Pakistan have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly implement archaeology, cultural heritage protection and restoration, exhibition exchanges, and prevent illegal trafficking of relics.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): CHEN ZHIGANG, Associate professor at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, director of the Guardians of Gandhara program 
"Now, more than 60 courses have been conducted in four World Heritage sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in Pakistan, which covered more than 20 surrounding communities, nearly 150 adolescent students. As for the project for locals to visit museums, we have also carried out activities with 27 local museums of different levels to engage the surrounding communities." 
   
Commenting on the future cooperation plans for the protection of cultural sites and relics of Pakistan, he told Xinhua that both countries need to further focus on tourism infrastructure improvement, basic maintenance, and archaeological excavation of sites.
   
Besides that, digitization of cultural heritage, joint scientific research projects as well as heritage education and cultural exchanges would be further encouraged in the future, he said. 

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): CHEN ZHIGANG, Associate professor at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, director of the Guardians of Gandhara program
"In the future, we also have some new plans and expectations for the protection of cultural relics in Pakistan. We also hope to establish corresponding exchanges and cooperation in technologies and introduce China's experience in digital protection and construction of cultural heritage."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Islamabad.
(XHTV)