Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage Officially Inaugurated

Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology in conjunction with Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology established the “Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage”.

On March 25th, the inauguration ceremony of the “Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage” was held in Southern Han Mausoleums Museum, Guangzhou City.

Inauguration Ceremony of the Guangzhou Workstation

The inauguration ceremony was hosted by Secretary Huang Hongliu, who first introduced the guests and extended a warm welcome. He pointed out that in recent years, General Secretary Xi has issued many important instructions on the work of cultural heritage and archaeology, which have provided goals, directions, and fundamental guidelines for carrying out related work. At the same time, Henan Province and Guangdong Province signed the Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement between the People’s Government of Henan Province and the People’s Government of Guangdong Province (2023-2027). Relying on the content of the agreement, the two institutions would cooperate to build the “Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage”, further strengthening the cooperation and exchanges between the two institutions in urban archaeology, cultural relics protection, and other fields, and relying on the national platform of the base, continuously promote the exchange and progress of urban archaeology and protection work.

Speech Delivered by Huang Hongliu

President Zhang Qianglu delivered a speech, expressing heartfelt gratitude to the guests in attendance, sharing basic information about Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology and the recent developments of archaeology in Guangzhou City, and reviewing the origin and preparatory process of the establishment of the “Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage”, and expressing his sincere thanks for experts such as Mr. Sun Yingmin and Mr. Zhu Yanshi for their suggestions and support. He pointed out that, relying on the workstation, and based on the work of archaeology and cultural relics protection in Guangzhou City. In the future, they would  summarize experiences and problems, continuously strengthen the communication and cooperation between the two institutions in fields such as urban archaeology, scientific and technological archaeology, and exhibition and utilization, carry out a series of activities such as academic conferences and study tours, actively build a communication mechanism in the fields of domestic urban archaeology and cultural relics protection, and leverage the leading effect of scientific research base nationwide.

Speech Delivered by Zhang Qianglu

Liu Haiwang, Director of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage and President of Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, conveyed heartfelt congratulations on the official inauguration of the “Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage”. He pointed out that cities are the most representative and concentrated carriers of human civilization, and various levels and types of urban archaeological sites are at the top priority and are demonstration areas for cultural heritage protection and inheritance. These sites also serve as an important foundation for cultural heritage protection and inheritance. Based on the importance of cities, the National Administration of Cultural Heritage constructed the “Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage”. In recent years, their works have achieved fruitful achievements in urban archaeology, cultural relics protection, and exhibition and utilization, which were widely recognized and highly praised by society. On this basis, the joint establishment of the “Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage” by the two institutions has strong academic research and practical significance. The continuous deepening of the cooperation between the two institutions and even two provinces in the field of cultural heritage and archaeology would promote the exchange and mutual learning in urban archaeology and protection of advanced experiences in Guangzhou City across the country, and the workstation would play a good role as a national-level platform of exchange and promotion for the scientific research base.

Speech Delivered by Liu Haiwang

He Junfeng, Level Two Research Investigator of Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, expressed his sincere thanks for the invitation to participate in the inauguration ceremony. He said that Henan Province is rich in resources of ancient city sites, and there are many ancient and modern overlapping cities such as Luoyang, Anyang, Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, etc. The cities have carried out urban archaeology and protection work preceding others in time and quantity. He then made a detailed introduction of some of the important work of urban archaeology and pointed out that with the development of urbanization, the density of urban archaeological work is higher than before, and under the continuous cooperative efforts of Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology and many other institutions, many achievements have been made in urban archaeology and protection, exhibition and utilization. Urban archaeology and relics protection in Guangzhou have also been carried out for a long time, where many excellent cases and advanced and referential experience were known and the work ranked top in the whole country. The geographic locations, historical and cultural characteristics of Guangdong Province and Henan Province are distinct, but the differences are more conducive to both sides to carry out learning and exchanges, the two institutes’ cooperation to establish the “Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage” provides a good platform for the comprehensive cooperation and would continuously promote the improvement of the level of urban archaeology and protection in the two provinces and even in the whole country.

Speech Delivered by He Junfeng

Liu Xiaoming, Deputy Director of Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau (also Director of Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau), expressed a warm welcome to the guests and congratulated the establishment of the workstation. He stressed that Guangzhou attaches great importance to the archaeology and protection of cultural relics and detailed many aspects, such as the archaeological work and system construction. He also stressed the important role of the archaeological work of cultural relics in exposing and explaining the early relics of Lingnan Culture. Moreover, the archaeology and protection work of cultural relics in Guangzhou City have maintained close exchanges with Henan Province, and relevant personnel have visited Henan Province many times to research and study. The establishment of “Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage” exemplified the implementation of the strategic cooperation framework agreement between Guangzhou City and Henan Province, which provided an important national-level platform for cultural relics and archaeology in Guangzhou City. Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology was expected to seize the opportunity to strengthen close cooperation with Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology. Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology should summarize the problems and experiences of Guangzhou urban archaeology and protection, relying on the base as a platform to learn advanced experience, promote excellent cases, and incubate deeper cooperation and exchanges between Henan Province and Guangzhou City, and even a nationwide extensive cooperation and progress in urban archaeology and cultural relics protection.

Speech Delivered by Liu Xiaoming

After the inauguration ceremony, a meeting and discussion among the leaders and experts was held to focus on such issues as the normative aspects of urban archaeological work, the formulation of local regulations and standards, public archaeology and publicity, the concept of preservation and utilization, and the reality of the pressure of urban renewal, and exchanged views on the work plan of the workstation and the cooperation between the two institutions in various aspects.

A Scene of the Meeting

Group Photo of the Attendees

“The Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage” is the only national archaeological research institute focusing on the protection and utilization of urban cultural heritage. The base was officially rectified and agreed to the establishment in December 2016, which was organized by Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, founded by Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, positioning as a “platform for scientific research and application promotion of urban archaeology and the protection of cultural heritage for the whole country”.

The establishment of “Guangzhou Workstation of the Key Scientific Research Base on Urban Archaeology and the Protection Supported by National Administration of Cultural Heritage” would take the base as the core, give full play to its leading and demonstration role, and take urban archaeology of Guangzhou City as the basis to radiate urban archaeology in South China. The base would further deepen the research theories and technical methods of urban archaeology and protection, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of cultural relics archaeological excavation of cultural relics, scientific and technological protection, academic communication and exchanges, exhibitions and personnel training. The base would also actively carry out research on urban archaeology and cultural heritage protection, promote the development of urban archaeology, and improve the level of cultural heritage protection, exhibition and utilization. The base would set up open scientific research subjects, strengthen regional cooperation, promote resource sharing, enhance the radiation effect of the base, and provide theoretical support and practical experience for the scientific research and operation of urban archaeology and cultural heritage protection in the whole country.