The Cabinet-level Council of Cultural Affairs yesterday named five historical and natural sites in Taiwan for nomination as UN World Heritage sites.
At a year-end press conference, the chairwoman of the CCA, Tchen Yu-chiou (
"The council will set up an operations committee in March to manage the application schedule, as well as oversee the maintenance and preservation of the potential world heritage sites," Tchen said yesterday.
The council also revealed an evaluation report by international world heritage inspectors, including Yukio Nishimura, the vice chairman of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), one of the agencies responsible for recommending potential sites to the UN World Heritage Committee.
The CCA last year invited academics from around the world, as well as local governments and communities to participate in the selection of potential world heritage sites in Taiwan with universal historical, cultural or natural qualities.
Twelve sites have been identified, seven of which require conservation work in order to meet World Heritage criteria.
Citing the international inspectors' report, Tchen said the natural resources at Toroko Gorge and Yu Shan are well preserved under the protection of their "National Park" designation, making them priority choices for nomination as World Heritage sites.
Chilanshan Forest in Ilan County houses the only remaining giant Taiwan hinoki cypress trees, an ancient cypress type that currently only exists in North America and East Asia.
The false cypress forest, planted by the Council of Agriculture's forestry bureau, at Chilanshan is the only botanical site among the 12 locations.
The report highlights the Alishan Mountain Railway's importance to forestry development and economic and industrial development in Taiwan.
The Peinan Culture Site in eastern Taitung County houses a large number of ancient and prehistoric artifacts dating from between 2,000 and 5,000 years ago.
It is the largest prehistoric burial site in the Pacific Rim area, and the only archaeological site in Taiwan recommended for a World Heritage listing.
The additional seven sites include: Yangmingshan National Park; the Penghu Archipelago for its basalt formations; the Old Mountain Railway in Miaoli County; the island of Kinmen; the historic foreign customs houses and trading depots in Tamsui; Orchid Island and the old mining township of Chinkuashih (金瓜石) in Taipei County.
The procedure for having a site named as a World Heritage site can take up to five years and involves applications to the ICOMOS and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
The ICOMOS and IUCN then issue recommendations to the UN World Heritage Committee, the decision-making body.
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