21 October
The cultural heritage sites spread across our country are something to be proud of. There is evidence of prehistoric civilizations in Myanmar, and the country has a long history and possesses a rich heritage, much of which is yet to be researched.
Our country has existed as a civilized nation since time immemorial, and there is still much evidence of our ancient cultural heritage in the country. Cultural heritage, in fact, serves as evidence of the historical background of a country and its people.
The conservation of cultural heritage does not imply protecting lifeless edifices and items, but preserving things which are connected with the history and culture of our country.
It is the duty of our people to conserve our heritage sites, so they can be systematically researched with the use of modern technology.
Recently, experts read papers and discussed technologies for renovating the gold plates of the Shwedagon Pagoda, as part of efforts for preventing its gold surface from deteriorating.
About 25 experts took part in the paper reading session and suggested improving the type of glue used in the current system and other technologies.
As the matter of donating gold plates or gold robes to the Pagoda is delicate, officials are making efforts to upgrade the system for restoring the gold plates on the pagoda with advanced technology.
Gold plates have been offered at the Shwedagon Pagoda since 1899, and restoration started in 1981, with work progressing depending on the damage to the gold plates.
To make conservation efforts of each cultural heritage a success and ensure edifices do not lose their artistic value during restoration, ensuring complete transparency at every step is important.
When it comes to the conservation of a cultural heritage, effectiveness of the work needs to be taken into consideration.
All Myanmar people are obliged to preserve Myanmar’s cultural heritage, and thanks to preservation works undertaken by our ancestors, the cultural heritage owned by all indigenous people still exists today.
The duty to conserve our national heritage falls on the shoulders of all the people, and all parties involved in the conservation work have the responsibility to follow the rules prescribed by the UNESCO.
Since the time of our ancestors, our people have enjoyed their right of paying homage to the pagoda as part of their daily life. Besides conservation efforts, limiting the number of high-rise buildings can also help preserve our heritage buildings and our intangible culture.
