Yunxiao Liu

Challenges and opportunities in the management and sustainable use of remote sites: a case study on the Oases Routes of the Silk Roads

This research will explore the management of remote archaeological sites. It aims to explore the challenges in their conservation, sustainability and access, to produce general framework for management of remote sites. This will seek to establish the intellectual framework for considering the balance between conservation and utilization of remote sites. The Oases Routes of the Silk Roads in Xinjiang will be used as a case study.

The conservation and interpretation of remote sites, located away from substantial settlements, has become a serious issue. Accessible internet based information, digital technologies, GPS, etc. are changing the nature of tourism. Suggested designation within the UNESCO World Heritage Silk Roads project would encourage more visitation, increasing a perceived need for conservation and interpretation at these hitherto neglected locations. Remote sites face basic challenges of conservation management and the concept of 'managed decay' is confronted by access and tourism, with economic implications for an area with a low standard of living. Looting and unrestricted access present direct challenges to sustaining these resources.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has a Silk Road project, designed to enhance sustainable tourism development along the historic Silk Roads. Their strategies focus on marketing/promotion and capacity building/destination management: but are they applicable in this context? Sustainably using remote sites needs to consider a complex range of stakeholders, types of sites, religions, etc.

Education

• BSc, Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University, China, 2012
• MA, Managing Archaeological Sites, UCL, 2016

Greece 4th Herma Conference Presentation title: Ancient Ruins - Lost Gems in the Northwestern China, 09/2017