According to the National Archives Administration of China, three Chinese documentary archives have been listed as documentary heritage on the Asia Pacific regional register of UNESCO’s Memory of the World (MOW) Programme.
The three new additions include archives about traditional teahouses in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, genealogical records of the communities of Huizhou in Anhui Province, and the printing blocks housed at the Dege Sutra Printing House in Sichuan Province.
The traditional teahouse archive is a collection of records, manuscripts, documents, photos and prints of traditional teahouses between 1903 and 1949 which provide valuable materials to study old Chengdu’s social and economic development.
The genealogical records of the communities of Huizhou record the origin, residential environment and regulations of the family clans in China’s last four ancient dynasties, from the Song to the Qing, a period from 960 to 1911. The printing archive includes 325,520 ancient printing plates and layout designs, covering many important Tibetan documentations since the 11th century.
Launched in 1992, UNESCO’s MOW Programme aims to promote the protection and people’s awareness of cultural heritage. The program conducts reviews once every two years. China has 17 items listed in the program.
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