Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
AT
Kabul: A mini-marathon was held in Afghanistan’s Bamyan province, which was sponsored and organized with the assistance of a group of young scholars from China’s Peking University, Lanzhou University, Wenzhou University, the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Hong Kong-based non-profit Friends of Dunhuang.
Mohammad Taqqi Taqadosi, coordinator of the race and a professor of Bamyan University, appreciatd the Chinese scholars for holding the event, noted that organizing such a race is vital to promoting awareness of protecting cultural heritages.
“Organizing sports activities and boosting tourism are good ways to preserve cultural heritages in Bamyan,” Taqadosi said.
Bamyan province is famous for many cultural heritages, including ancient statues and caves containing monk statues around them, are more than 1,500 years old and also reminders of the Buddhist civilization in the region.
In 2003, the cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Due to years of war and economic hardships, the caves in Bamiyan Valley were not properly numbered and have remained unattended for a long time.
“With our specific suggestions and financial support, most of the caves near the Buddha site have been officially recorded numerically and installed with introductory nameplates,” said Shao Xuecheng, a member of Friends of Dunhuang.
In addition, the Chinese scholars funded a program to teach local children how to preserve their cultural heritage.
