The Future of Asia's Past

Book excerpt: Over the course of five days over 350 leaders from around the world gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to discuss the future of Asia's past. This important gathering brought representatives from cultural authorities, experts on the cultural field, international organizations, corporations, tourism authorities, and interested public to take stock of what is presently being done and what can be done in the future to protect Asia's cultural heritage from urban sprawl, increasing tourism, pollution, war, and all the vast array of threats to the testimony of civilization. This publication summarizes the topics presented in the plenary sessions and in the smaller discussion groups centered around some important architectural and archaeological sites and monuments. It also includes the keynote addresses presented at the beginning of the conference and the recommendations agreed to by the speakers of the conference at its conclusion.