On May 15, 2024, the Phase I Training Course for the UNESCO “World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme” Phase II China Pilot Studies - Yellow (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat, hosted by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific World Heritage Training and Research Center and organized by the Yancheng Wetland and World Natural Heritage Protection and Management Center, was successfully held in Yancheng, China. Peter DeBrine, Senior Programme Officer at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and head of the “World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme,” Professor Shao Yong, Executive Director of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific World Heritage Training and Research Center (Shanghai), and Wu Qijiang, Director of the Yancheng Wetland and World Natural Heritage Protection and Management Center, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Professors Han Feng from Tongji University, Li Hong from the Shanghai Center, Lei Guangchun from Beijing Forestry University, Chen Yaohua from Peking University, and Dr. Wen Cheng, a member of the World Heritage Expert Committee of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, were invited to give lectures. They provided training on two major modules: World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism, and the Outstanding Universal Value of the Yellow (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat. A total of 81 representatives from various units participated in this training course, including members of the Yancheng World Natural Heritage Protection and Management Joint Meeting, the People’s Government of Dongtai City, the People’s Government of Sheyang County, the People’s Government of Dafeng District, the People’s Government of Tinghu District, and Yanwu Group.

This training aimed to further enhance the understanding of the heritage value and protection management of the Yellow (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat Phase I among heritage site managers and stakeholders. It also aimed to disseminate the objectives and methods of UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism, and the construction of sustainable tourism destinations at World Heritage sites. The opening ceremony was broadcasted live both online and offline. It summarized the successes of the first pilot project phase (2015-2020) and expressed support and expectations for the second phase of the China pilot project Invited experts delivered offline lectures and engaged in interactive exchanges with participants on six topics: “Introduction to the World Heritage Sustainable Tourism China Pilot Project,” “Core Knowledge of World Heritage,” “World Natural Heritage Value and Its Carrier of the Yellow (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat,” “Protection and Management Planning of the Yellow (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat World Natural Heritage,” “Biodiversity of the Yellow (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat World Natural Heritage,” and “Methods for Sustainable Tourism at World Heritage Sites.

Opening Speech by Peter DeBrine

Opening Speech by Professor Shao Yong

Opening Speech by Director Wu Qijiang

Professor Han Feng from the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University, 

and the head of the UNESCO “World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism” China Pilot Studies, introduced the World Heritage Sustainable Tourism China Pilot Project

Ms. Li Hong, Project Director at the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (Shanghai), introduced Core Knowledge of World Heritage

Professor Lei Guangchun from the School of Ecology and Nature Conservation at Beijing Forestry University introduced the World Natural Heritage Value and Its Carrier of the Yellow (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat

Director Chen Yaohua from the World Heritage Center at Peking University introduced the Protection and Management Planning of the Yellow (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat World Natural Heritage

Dr. Wen Cheng, member of the World Heritage Expert Committee of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, 

introduced the Biodiversity of the Yellow (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat World Natural Heritage

Professor Han Feng from the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University, 

and the head of the UNESCO “World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism” China Pilot Studies, 

introduced Methods for Sustainable Tourism at World Heritage Sites