Expert shares insights on cultural heritage diplomacy

The 3rd Liangzhu Forum opened on Oct 18 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, under the theme "Revitalization of Civilization: Cultural Heritage and Human Culture Diversity". 

Tim Winter, Research Cluster Leader of Inter-Asian Engagements at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, and Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, shared his valuable insights during the main forum following the opening ceremony.

Opening ceremony and main forum of the 3rd Liangzhu Forum. Photo by Zhong Xinyi

In the interview with ZICC, Winter said it was his third visit to Liangzhu, and he was impressed by the rapid transformation the site has undergone in recent years.

"Since I was last here, it’s changed so much,” he said. “There were new development of museums and good management of archaeological sites." He also highlighted the newly built Chinese Painting Museum, noting its innovative use of virtual reality exhibitions to help audiences explore the links between painting, sound, music, and the landscape.

In his speech at the forum, Winter focused on the opportunities emerging from China's growing expertise in digital and technological fields.

"China is moving very fast and developing strong expertise," he said. "There are many opportunities for building collaborations with countries across the region in South Asia and Southeast Asia." He emphasized that beyond technological skills, building personal relationships between countries remains essential for long-term cooperation.

Tim Winter delivers speech at the forum. Photo by Zhong Xinyi

Speaking about the significance of the Liangzhu Forum, Winter said that this year’s discussions center on global challenges such as cultural diversity, environmental change, and urbanization. "I think this is the aim of the forum this year, to focus on those challenges and how to build diversity across borders and religions," he said.

Looking ahead, Winter expressed hope for deeper international cooperation through heritage diplomacy. "That's the area I work on," he said, "Linking museums and encouraging different public audiences to come together to build cultural understanding across different groups and religions."

He said that this process "takes a long time" and requires "many different types of projects over time", but he sees forums like Liangzhu as important starting points for broader programs fostering public connection and mutual understanding.

The three-day Liangzhu Forum is attended by more than 300 participants with foreign guests coming from more than 60 countries and regions, including heads of cultural heritage protection and management institutions, museum directors, archaeologists, and historians.

The participants will conduct in-depth discussions and exchange experiences in world cultural heritage protection in the four sub-forums, with topics including the wisdom of ancient civilizations, archaeological site protection, museum innovation, and world cultural heritage preservation.