How Should We Interpret and Present Newly Registered World Heritage Sites in the Future?
On May 9, WHIPIC held a workshop with Haman-gun County on 'Interpretation and Presentation Methods in Heritage Conservation and Management' for site managers, World Heritage listing practitioners, and local communities. Participants visited the Gaya Tumuli, newly inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2023, and took time to understand the heritage.
<WHIPIC, Field Trip to Haman Marisan Tumuli>
Principal Research Fellow Seung-Cheol Ha of the World Heritage Integrated Management Support Team for Gaya Tumuli shared the meaningful journey of the Gaya Tumuli to be listed as a World Heritage Site, under the topic of "The World Heritage Listing Process of the Gaya Tumuli." The process took ten years and involved selecting representative candidates from the scattered Gaya Tumuli, identifying the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the heritage, drafting an application for inscription on the Tentative List, and eventually registering it as a World Heritage Site after a one-year delay due to the pandemic. He shared stories about the on-site challenges the support team faced and how they overcame them during the decade-long nomination process.
Sujeong Lee from WHIPIC's Research Office presented “The Importance of World Heritage Interpretation and Presentation and Ways to Utilize It,“ highlighting current issues in the World Heritage system and the role of heritage interpretation and presentation. Using examples of both domestic and international heritage interpretation, she explained to residents involved in heritage preservation activities that heritage interpretation is a meaning-making process through communication, participation, and experience. Heritage interpretation is a necessary activity that strengthens the connection between people and heritage.
Lastly, Shin Kyu Cho, a World Heritage manager at the Cultural Heritage Office of Haman-gun County Office, introduced the landscape maintenance and infrastructure construction plan for the tumuli under the theme of “Preservation, Management, and Utilization Plan for the Marisan Tumuli.” He shared plans to move forward with institutional and administrative support projects for Korean heritage, ensuring that the Haman Marisan Tumuli will be a place where both visitors and local communities can appreciate the value of the World Heritage Site.
This research forum allowed centre staff to learn about new World Heritage sites, communicate with local communities and site managers, and contemplate how heritage interpretation and presentation can contribute to preserving and managing World Heritage sites. We hope that the Gaya Tumuli, dormant for 1,500 years, will tell more colourful stories through collaboration with local communities, interpretation, presentation, and the maintenance of historical and cultural spaces. These efforts aim to strengthen the connection between people and heritage. WHIPIC will continue to engage directly with the field through research forums and seek new directions for heritage interpretation and presentation.
How Should We Interpret and Present Newly Registered World Heritage Sites in the Future?
On May 9, WHIPIC held a workshop with Haman-gun County on 'Interpretation and Presentation Methods in Heritage Conservation and Management' for site managers, World Heritage listing practitioners, and local communities. Participants visited the Gaya Tumuli, newly inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2023, and took time to understand the heritage.
<WHIPIC, Field Trip to Haman Marisan Tumuli>
Principal Research Fellow Seung-Cheol Ha of the World Heritage Integrated Management Support Team for Gaya Tumuli shared the meaningful journey of the Gaya Tumuli to be listed as a World Heritage Site, under the topic of "The World Heritage Listing Process of the Gaya Tumuli." The process took ten years and involved selecting representative candidates from the scattered Gaya Tumuli, identifying the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the heritage, drafting an application for inscription on the Tentative List, and eventually registering it as a World Heritage Site after a one-year delay due to the pandemic. He shared stories about the on-site challenges the support team faced and how they overcame them during the decade-long nomination process.
Sujeong Lee from WHIPIC's Research Office presented “The Importance of World Heritage Interpretation and Presentation and Ways to Utilize It,“ highlighting current issues in the World Heritage system and the role of heritage interpretation and presentation. Using examples of both domestic and international heritage interpretation, she explained to residents involved in heritage preservation activities that heritage interpretation is a meaning-making process through communication, participation, and experience. Heritage interpretation is a necessary activity that strengthens the connection between people and heritage.
Lastly, Shin Kyu Cho, a World Heritage manager at the Cultural Heritage Office of Haman-gun County Office, introduced the landscape maintenance and infrastructure construction plan for the tumuli under the theme of “Preservation, Management, and Utilization Plan for the Marisan Tumuli.” He shared plans to move forward with institutional and administrative support projects for Korean heritage, ensuring that the Haman Marisan Tumuli will be a place where both visitors and local communities can appreciate the value of the World Heritage Site.
This research forum allowed centre staff to learn about new World Heritage sites, communicate with local communities and site managers, and contemplate how heritage interpretation and presentation can contribute to preserving and managing World Heritage sites. We hope that the Gaya Tumuli, dormant for 1,500 years, will tell more colourful stories through collaboration with local communities, interpretation, presentation, and the maintenance of historical and cultural spaces. These efforts aim to strengthen the connection between people and heritage. WHIPIC will continue to engage directly with the field through research forums and seek new directions for heritage interpretation and presentation.