New UNESCO Publication on Paper Conservation in East Asia

The proceedings of the 6th UNESCO Sub-Regional Symposium on Paper Conservation and Paper Making Traditions in East Asia, held in December 2015 in Ningbo, China, have recently been published. The resulting publication, entitled Paper Conservation and Paper Making Traditions in East Asia, is a bilingual, 350-page volume comprising a dozen contributions from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia and China, as well as extensive annexes with detailed information about projects implemented throughout the region. The Symposium is part of a sub-regional project on the Methodology of Paper Conservation and Paper making Traditions in East Asia, initiated by UNESCO Beijing Office. With participation of the aforementioned five countries, it aims to promote intercultural dialogue and foster technical exchanges among East Asian countries in the field of paper conservation and traditional paper making through a series of project activities. Within the framework of this project, country-based sets of paper conservation guidelines have been developed —a landmark initiative that provides guidance on best practices of paper conservation in the region. Though there are various challenges in the preservation and conservation of paper heritage, it is hoped that the collaborative sharing platforms that have emerged from this project will promote sustained dialogue and enhance technical exchange for long-term preservation of paper heritage. The proceedings of the regional Symposium on paper conservation are available at http://www.unescobkk.org/news/article/proceedings-of-the-6th-unesco-sub-regional-symposium-on-paper-conservation-published/