The Eastern Silk Roads Story Conference 2015

A conference on the Eastern Silk Roads Story was organized in Gyeongju, the Republic of Korea, by UNESCO and in collaboration with the provincial government of the Gyeongsangbuk-do province and municipality of Gyeongju, from 1 to 2 December 2015. The conference was attended by scholars from the Republic of Korea, Japan, China and some other countries along the Silk Roads such as Iran and Kazakhstan, as well as representatives of the city of Gyeongju and Gyeongsangbuk-do province. The conference was officially opened by a speech of Mr Kim Kwan-Yong, governor followed by speeches of Mr. Choi Yang Sik, the mayor, and Mr. Kim Gwang-Jo, director of UNESCO office in Bangkok.

In their opening speeches the Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do province, Kim Kwan-yong, and the Mayor of Gyeongju, Choi Yang Sik, both underlined the importance of the province and the city in the Eastern Silk Roads, in particular their contributions to the promotion of commercial and cultural exchanges among people of these regions over millennia especially during the Silla dynasty (57 BC – 935 AD). They also recalled the presence of a strong Buddhism tradition in this region as a witness of exchanges of belief and ideas within this region and between other regions alongside the Eastern Silk Roads. They reiterated the interest and engagement of the Gyeongsangbuk-do province and Gyeongju city to actively participate in the modern Silk Roads initiatives.  The director of UNESCO Bangkok Office, Mr. Kim Gwang-ju, presented the Silk Roads initiatives undertaken by UNESCO over the last forty years in promoting the intercultural dialogue.

The opening ceremony was followed by a series of plenary sessions during which experts were given the opportunity to present and discuss their views on various aspects of the Silk Roads along the following major themes: influences and icons of the eastern Silk Roads; protecting and safeguarding cultural heritage of the Silk Roads; intangible heritage of the Silk Roads; underwater heritage along the Silk Roads; and promoting mutual understanding and tolerance by knowledge sharing and exchange on the Silk Roads.  

This conference provided a unique opportunity to exchange about the latest research on Eastern Silk Roads and Central Asia heritage. Moreover, the participants of the conference had the chance to visit some historic sites in Gyeongjo including the Seokguram Grotto, Bulguksa Buddhist temple, Silk Road Expo and National Museum of Gyeongju.

The scientific papers presented at this conference will be soon available on the database of the Silk Road Online Platform.