China's Foguang temple selected for UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers Initiative

(ECNS) -- The UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative announced its latest project selections at a forum in north China's Shanxi Province on Wednesday, with Foguang Temple among the new entries.

Located in Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, Foguang Temple's East Main Hall was rebuilt in 857 during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). It is the largest and best-preserved wooden structure from the Tang Dynasty and holds exceptional significance within Chinese and East Asian architectural heritage.

Wang Jinxuan, project lead for WHV Foguang Temple program, said the project will focus on training young volunteers who understand both the temple's history and climate-related risks to promote public education and foster collaboration between official institutes and civil society in heritage protection efforts.

WHV Initiative is a global campaign launched by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in 2008. It aims to mobilize and empower young people, organizations, institutions, and communities to participate in the protection and promotion of World Heritage through volunteer service.

This year, 89 projects from 41 countries have been approved worldwide, among which nine are in China.

(By Gong Weiwei)