12th US/ICOMOS International Symposium

Response to Earthquakes in China

Mr. Tong Mingkang

President of ICOMOS CHINA

Dear Mr. Gustavo Araoz, President of ICOMOS,

Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, good evening! PPT1:
演讲题目
First of all, please allow me, on behalf of ICOMOS China,
to express my heart-felt thanks to US/ICOMOS for your
invitation and hospitality offered to me and my colleagues.
I would also like to thank the conference organizers for
giving me such a good opportunity to deliver a
presentation here this evening.

It is my pleasure to be in New Orleans, a beautiful city

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with rich cultural resources. Its name reminds me the 新奥尔良照片
hurricane that devastated so many people and so much
property. People around the world have watched your
recovery and restoration of cultural properties. As you
know, after the earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province,
we found ourselves in similarly unfortunate circumstance.

Throughout Chinese history, rich and diverse cultural

PPT3:
heritage has been created and preserved. Today, China has 世界遗产照片
37 World Heritage properties, 400,000 registered PPT4:
monuments and sites; 110 cities and 251 towns or villages 文保单位照片
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proclaimed as historically and culturally famous places. 名城名镇照片

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However, China suffers some of the world’s most serious
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natural disasters that occur with great frequency and
地震数据饼图
intensity over vast areas, and with considerable losses.
Along with climate change, the losses caused by
earthquakes, snowstorms and ice hazards even totaled
1000 billion Yuan in 2008.

ON May 12, 2008, a major earthquake hit Wenchuan PPT7:

地震示意图
County in Sichuan Province.

Statistics indicate that it was China’s most destructive 地震烈度图

earthquake in more than 60 years.

While causing huge life and property losses, this PPT9:

受损文保单位分
earthquake destroyed many invaluable cultural properties.
布图
In the worst-hit area of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi
provinces, 376 monuments under state or province-level
protection, as well as 4,000 pieces of museum collection,
were damaged.

The Qiang ethnic group is considered one of the oldest PPT10:

羌族村寨照片
ethnic peoples in China and regarded as a “living fossil”
of Chinese civilization. Cultural heritage resources of the
Qiang suffered huge losses in the earthquake.

Great damages have been caused to the Qiang village in PPT11-12:

桃坪碉楼地震前
Taoping, Lixian County and the Qiang village in Heihu,
后对比照片
Maoxian County, both of which have been included in
China’s Tentative List for World Heritage.

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Damages to historic buildings caused by the earthquake PPT13-14:
领报修院地震前
are categorized by four types:
后对比照片
A. Buildings that completely collapsed;

B. Structures heavily damaged and buildings that partially PPT15:

伏龙观、二王庙地
collapsed;
震前后对比照片

C. Structures partially damaged; PPT16:

结构部分受损照
片

D. Structures left basically intact, but with decorations PPT17:

装修受损照片
damaged.

Relevant parameters include routine maintenance,

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distance from the epicenter, and stability of main
镇国寺白塔照片
structures and foundations. Routine maintenance is vital to
the protection of oriental wooden and brick-and-stone
structures against earthquake, including weeding,
ventilating, protecting against humidity, ant attacks and
reinforcing decayed components.

A thousand-year old brick pagoda in Sichuan, for example, PPT18:

镇国寺白塔照片,
cracked from the root of plants due to failure to uproot
单击出现开裂动
plants growing out of its exterior. 画

After the earthquake, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage

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(SACH), ICOMOS China and Chinese cultural heritage
administrations at various levels collaborated immediately
to rescue and protect cultural properties affected. The
work consisted of following five steps: PPT19:
The first step, a national emergency was called 一组局领导现场
调研、会议照片
immediately for disaster relief and reconstruction.
Coordination groups give direct instructions to rescue
efforts in the quake-hit areas and work out guidelines for
aftermath rescue and protection of cultural heritage.
Emergency funds were identified and allocated for
cleaning and disinfection of the worst-damaged
monuments. As a result, cultural properties in the
quake-hit area were soon under control.

Meanwhile, local governments, institutions and PPT20:

基层工作者现场
organizations also launched self-rescue. Local staffs
调研照片
risked their lives to rescue 38 monuments, and relocate PPT21:
nearly 80,000 pieces of museum collection to safer places. 临时支护措施照
Most museums and monuments were soon reopened to 片
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public or offered emergency shelters for local people. 金沙遗址博物馆
Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu sheltered nearly 20,000 广场照片
local residents on the single day of May 19.

The second step, survey and assess to the damages and after-quake

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protection. SACH and ICOMOS China organized leading PPT23:
experts nationwide to conduct on-site surveys and 一组专家现场评
establish assessing standards of damaged cultural property. 估、论证照片
They also worked hard to provide technical guidance for
rescue and protection plans.

Assessment reports and protection plans have been PPT24:

一组规划文本照
drafted.
片

The third step, mobilize national resources to provide

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technical assistance. On June 20, 2008, a workshop
一组签署对口支
brought together provincial heritage administrations, 援协议照片
qualified institutes and universities. They undertook a
number of rescue and protection projects and provided
technical assistance to the quake-hit areas. 83 museums
from other parts of China pledged to help the quake-hit
museums to restore their collections and resume
exhibitions.

The fourth step, implement projects to rescue and protect 一组都江堰施工

照片
quake-hit cultural properties in a reasoning, step-by-step
manner. Based on preliminary estimates, about 30 rescue
and protection projects are proceeding well, including
assessment and restoration of historic monuments.

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The timely implementation of these rescue and protection people to

projects has considerably boosted the confidence of local rebuild their
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homes. During implementing these projects, we keep in PPT28: 二 王 庙 阶
梯清理对比照片
our mind the motto “more haste, less speed” and strictly
PPT29: 有 序 摆 放
abide by the principle of “quality and procedure first”. 利用瓦件
PPT30: 清 理 出 的
题刻
PPT27:二王庙大殿前清理对比照片

The fifth step, give priority to the rescue and protection of

the cultural heritage of Tibetan and Qiang ethnic groups. PPT31: 一 组 桃 坪
Rescue and protection projects on Diaolou towers and 羌寨工程照片
villages of the Qiang ethnic group in Taoping, Lixian PPT32: 一 组 直 波
County and Diaolou towers and villages of Tibetan ethnic 碉楼工程照片
group in Ma’erkang have been launched.

Training programs have been provided to local artisans in

the restoration of Tibetan and Qiang cultural property. In
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restoring damaged monuments in traditional ways, we 一组工匠培训照
encouraged local people to participant heritage rescue and 片
protection. By doing so, we created more employment
opportunities for the benefit of local economic growth,
while helped local artisans to carry on their traditional
skills.

Based on my Chinese colleagues’ response to the ideas with our

earthquake, I would like to share some experiences and colleagues.
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Firstly, I think it’s vital to establish a well-developed,
effective precaution and relief system for the response to
natural disasters. Such a national system should consist of PPT34:
following five elements: 单击出现第１行
First, the improved laws and regulations. After the 文字（要素１）

earthquake, the Chinese Government formulated and

enacted national regulations on post-quake reconstruction
and rules on the administration of post-quake rescue,
restoration and protection of cultural property, which
provided effective guarantees to rescue and protect
cultural heritage.

Second, the timely effective emergency response and

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plans. Responsibilities of heritage administrations,
单击出现第２行
handling procedures and emergency measures should be 文字（要素２）
explicitly defined, so that rescue and assistance are called
upon immediately after an earthquake.

Third, the detailed archives on cultural heritage resources.

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China has archived on all monuments under protection, in
第３行文字（要素
particular, those under state-level protection. These ３）
detailed archives ensure timely rescue, restoration and
protection of the cultural heritage in the event of an
earthquake.

Fourth, the effective monitoring and assessment systems. to monitor

Both traditional and modern technologies should be used monuments and
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their settings. Based on data analysis, we should PPT34:
单击出现第４行
reasonably assess the risk of cultural heritage, formulate
文字（要素４）
scientific measures and standards in disaster precaution
and relief.

Fifth, the well-established institutions for cultural heritage

conservation. In China, cultural heritage administrations
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have been established at both central and local levels. All 单击出现第５行
important monuments are taken care of by managing 文字（要素５）
agencies and individuals. They played a key role in
collecting information about damages in time, particularly
in the early stage of the post-quake period when all
communication and transportation were out of service.

Meanwhile, I also think during post-quake rescue and

protection should take into account the following
principles:
1. Priority for structural rescue.
Measures should be taken to support endangered
structures with notable stability problems so as to prevent
them from further damages caused by secondary disasters PPT35:
like aftershocks. For structures with adequate stability but 单击出现第１行
文字（原则１）
with leakage, temporary measures should be taken to
shelter them from further destruction by rainfall.

2. Priority to the protection in original site. If without the

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threat of further geological disasters, damaged monuments
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should be restored and protected in their original sites in
单击出现第２行
order to retain information about their history and culture. 文字（原则２）
Historic buildings heavily destroyed by geological or
other natural disasters should be considered for relocation
in accordance with specific requirements.

3. Priority to traditional approaches of restoration.

Traditional skills and materials should be used if PPT35:
单击出现第３行
quake-hit monuments or objects can be restored in these
文字（原则３）
ways. If, by any reasons, they cannot be restored in
traditional ways, modern materials and technologies
should be applied but cautiously and in accordance with
the standards set in the Principles for the Conservation of
Heritage Sites in China, compiled in 2000. Self rescue by
local people with traditional skills should be encouraged.

4. Priority to earthquake precaution and disaster relief.

For heritage sites heavily damaged by earthquakes,
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assessment should be made on the geological safety of 单击出现第４行
their locations and necessary measures taken to eliminate 文字（原则４）
further potential risks. Priority should be given to the
applied technology of protection that can upgrade
quake-proof capacity of heritage sites, in particular,
traditional skills. Modern quake-proof technologies should
be applied cautiously, on the condition of no any negative
impact on heritage values. 5.
Distinguishing
while in-site
cleaning.
Accurate
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mapping, surveying, photo taking and recording should be
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made before cleaning the damaged properties, in particular,
单击出现第５行
in sites piled with collapsed components and materials of 文字（原则５）
historic buildings.
Recyclable old materials and building components should
be reused as much as possible. Other collapsed or broken
materials should be disposed after strict identification.

After the earthquake, China received worldwide relief

assistance. International organizations such as WHC, PPT36-37:
ICOMOS, ICCROM and ICOM and heritage conservation 提供援助的国家、
组织名单及合作
authorities from other countries expressed concerns and
情况
offered support and assistance. I would like to express my
sincerest thanks to all my colleagues who have offered
such generous care and assistance.
Earthquake precaution and disaster relief is a new topic
for the conservation of cultural heritage in China. Now my
Chinese colleagues are working hard to find new solutions
and apply their experience in rescuing and protecting
cultural properties after a natural disaster. We welcome
international community and foreign governments,
organizations and individuals to join in our efforts. We
believe this increase in international exchange, and
cooperation among personnel, capital and technology, will
greatly enhance our collective ability to anticipate and
respond to natural disasters. The invaluable support and
help of our colleagues is most welcome.

Thank you!

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