What is Heritage?

According to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s definition: "Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located". The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972. (source: http://whc.unesco.org/EN/about).

　

甚麼是文化遺產？

根據聯合國教育科學及文化組織(UNESCO)的定義，文化遺產是過去人類所創造，由現代人類繼承並傳之後世，具有獨特和普世價值的物質或非物質遺存。文化遺產及自然遺產是無可取代的生活及靈感的來源。東非塞倫蓋蒂公園、埃及金字塔、澳洲大堡碉以及拉丁美洲的巴羅克式天主教堂——這些獨一無二的景觀構成了世界遺產的一部分。世界遺產的概念是「共同擁有」：文化遺產並不僅僅屬於某個國家或某個民族，而是人類共同的財富。一九七二年聯合國教科文組織通過了《保護世界文化和自然遺產公約》，鼓勵各國確認、保護和保存具有獨特及重要人文價值的文化及自然遺產。(http://whc.unesco.org/EN/about)