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Tangible–intangible Synergies in East Asia: Case Studies and Emerging Insights for Integrated Heritage Safeguarding
2026-08-25 ICCSD

In 2025, UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, in collaboration with Category 2 Centres under the auspices of UNESCO in the Asia and the Pacific region (CRIHAP, ICHCAP, IRCI, WHIPIC and WHITR-AP) launched the Call for Cases on Promoting Tangible-Intangible Synergies at UNESCO Designated Sites in Asia-Pacific. 

Integrating field practices drawn from 28 selected cases out of over 50 submissions from the region, this publication examines how tangible and intangible heritage are brought into mutually reinforcing relationships through conservation, safeguarding, management, and community initiatives across East Asia. Rather than treating tangible and intangible heritage as separate domains, the publication explores how they interact in practice and how integrated approaches can contribute to both heritage safeguarding and broader social, cultural, environmental, and economic objectives.

The study seeks to:

  1. Identify the motivations that have led heritage actors to pursue integrated approaches;

  2. Examine the different ways in which tangible and intangible heritage interact and reinforce one another;

  3. Analyse the factors that enable successful integration;

  4. Assess the outcomes generated through integrated approaches; and

  5. Derive lessons that may inform future policy and practice.

Click here to read more.

(Source: UNESCO)

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The International Center for Creativity and Sustainable Development under the Auspices of UNESCO (Category 2) was approved at the 38th session of UNESCO General Assembly in November 2015. In 2017, the People's Government of Beijing Municipality signed the agreement with UNESCO. ICCSD becomes the world's first UNESCO Category 2 center with the theme of "creativity and sustainable development". With the support and guidance of UNESCO, the Center intends to build the world's high-level international platform that aims at creativity and sustainable development, and includes the functions of research, training, cooperation, communication, demonstration etc. The Center shall become a first-class think-tank gathering talents throughout the world, building a global renowned "laboratory of thoughts" with a focus on creativity and innovation. It shall promote cultural exchanges and cooperation, disseminate and support Chinese enterprises, technology and culture.
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