During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, the eminent monk Xuanzang set out from Chang'an (present-day Xi'an) towards India to obtain Buddhist scriptures. This journey not only gave rise to literary classics such as "Journey to the West," but also the "Great Tang Records on the Western Regions" written by Xuanzang upon his return to China became an important document for studying the history of India in the 7th century.
According to an article in the Hindustan Times on June 14, China and India are conducting consultations regarding the joint application of 'Great Tang Records on the Western Regions' for inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Sources close to the matter revealed that this proposal is led by China, with support from the Indian government, and is currently under review by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India.
At the beginning of this month, the second meeting of the BRICS Cultural Working Group was held in Varanasi, India. During the group discussions regarding cooperation in protecting common heritage, representatives from various countries discussed the feasibility of BRICS countries jointly applying for World Heritage status.
According to UNESCO regulations, the application for listing intangible cultural heritage is conducted every two years. A single country can submit only two application materials at a time; this restriction does not apply to joint applications. Since the BRICS countries all have rich historical heritage, joint applications can effectively reduce the waiting period and accelerate the process of protecting each country’s cultural heritage.
The recommendations of the cultural working group will be submitted to the BRICS Cultural Ministers' Meeting held in Bhopal, India in August this year. It is expected that these recommendations will be reflected in a joint statement.
Sources told The Indian Express that China and India are conducting consultations regarding the joint application of Xuanzang's "Great Tang Records on the Western Regions" for inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. This proposal, initiated by China with support from India, is currently being reviewed by the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In September 2023, the exhibition "Piaoxiang Linlang" at the Tianjin Museum featured the Qing Dynasty Xuan Tong First Year (1909) edition of "Datang Xiyu Ji". IC photo
Xuanzang was a famous monk of the Tang Dynasty in China. During the reign of Emperor Taizong, he traveled westward to obtain Buddhist scriptures. He crossed the Western Regions and overran the Pamir Plateau before arriving at ancient India. He studied Buddhist scriptures at Nalanda Temple. After returning to China, Xuanzang wrote a book titled "Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang," which described in detail the history, geography, culture, and religion of Central Asia and ancient India.
"The Great Tang Records of the Western Regions" has been translated into several foreign languages, making it an important document for studying the countries in Central Asia and South Asia in the 7th century.
In addition, sources revealed that India hopes to collaborate with Iran in listing the ancient Indian fable collection 'The Five Books' as intangible cultural heritage. These fables have been an integral part of Persian literature and folk tales for over 1500 years. India also intends to work with South Africa to jointly list the concept of 'non-violent non-cooperation' as a cultural heritage.
Ramesh C Gaur, Director of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in India, said: "The BRICS countries share many common cultural heritage elements. This includes the epic 'Ramayana' which is popular in both India and Indonesia, Buddhist scriptures shared by India and China, and the fable story of the 'Five Books' that has been passed down jointly between India and Iran."
Gao believes that if the BRICS countries can make full use of joint declarations, they are expected to achieve greater results in protecting historical and cultural heritage.
