TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Culture Minister Li Yuan (李遠) warned Friday (Sept. 5) that Taiwan's cultural heritage faces unprecedented threats after this summer's typhoons and floods exposed the vulnerability of historical sites and damaged biodiversity. Li stressed the urgent necessity of increased heritage protection efforts during an international conference, warning that precious cultural treasures could succumb to natural disasters or conflict without decisive action. The minister's remarks underscored growing concerns about climate change impacts on Taiwan's cultural legacy.
International experts gathered in Taipei Friday (Sept. 5) to address threats that climate change and other challenges pose to global cultural heritage. The 2025 International Forum on Taiwan Cultural Heritage: FORWARD with Flexibility×Originality×Resilience (2025年台灣文化遺產國際論壇：靈動創新．堅韌前行) opened at National Chengchi University's (國立政治大學) Center for Public and Business Administration Education (公企中心). The conference focused specifically on the Alishan (阿里山) forestry and railway cultural landscape as a case study.
The forum, organized by the Bureau of Cultural Heritage (文化部文化資產局), Taiwan's heritage preservation agency, drew international experts from Belgium, Australia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Participants explored topics including the value of cultural landscapes and international preservation trends. Minister Li emphasized the importance of collaboration between government and private sectors, referencing last year's launch of the "Hundred Cultural Bases" (百大文化基地) project.
The forum spotlighted "railway heritage" as its central theme, examining the Alishan forestry and railway cultural landscape alongside Switzerland's Rhaetian Railway, part of which holds UNESCO World Heritage status. Li noted the government's decade-long effort to restore the National Railway Museum (國家鐵道博物館), which recently opened its first phase to the public. Discussions centered on challenges posed by environmental changes and strategies for sustainable heritage planning. ◼
