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28COM 15B.56

Decision Text

The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined the state of conservation of this property,
2. Notes that the architectural design for the New Suzhou Museum is compatible
with the visual aspects and buildings traditions of the property;
3. Expresses concern over the urban development pressure in Suzhou, and the
renewal and reconstruction of the historic and traditional urban fabric of the
city;
4. Requests the State Party to review the legal framework and management plan
for the protection of cultural heritage properties in Suzhou and to strengthen
the legal provision for the protection of the cultural properties in the buffer
zones of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou and within the historic town;
5. Encourages the Chinese authorities to continue their efforts to protect the urban
historic fabric of Suzhou surrounding the World Heritage property, by carrying
out a thorough survey of historic buildings and urban landscape of the Old City
area;
6. Suggests that the Chinese authorities to study in the future the possibility to
consider an extension of the World Heritage property of the Classical Gardens
of Suzhou to include the historic town of Suzhou, together with other historic
canal towns, within the same geo-cultural area in the provinces of Jiangsu and
Zhejiang;
7. Requests the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS to provide technical
assistance to the Chinese authorities to review and update the existing
management plans for this property, using the case of New Suzhou Museum
and other similar rehabilitation or reconstruction projects in the historic
quarters of Suzhou, to ensure long-term comprehensive management of the
urban fabric and the landscape;
8. Requests the State Party to submit a progress report to the World Heritage
Centre, by 1 February 2006 on measures taken to enhance the conservation and
presentation of the World Heritage property, including a publication of the
architectural surveys of historic buildings, for examination by the Committee
at its 30th session in June 2006.

Documents

• Original Decision Document