Jeju and Emei Mountain in China Form 'World Heritage Alliance'

Governor Oh Younghoon Discusses Cooperation on Ecotourism and Environmental Education

Jeju Island Government Office

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and Leshan City in Sichuan Province, China, have joined hands to create a world-class tourist destination that harmonizes nature and culture, based on their shared status as World Natural Heritage sites.

The Jeju World Heritage Center announced on the 15th that it had signed a friendship agreement with the Emeishan Scenic Area Administrative Committee of Leshan City, Sichuan Province, to promote the protection of world heritage and revitalize tourism exchanges.

The signing ceremony was attended by Jeju Governor Oh Younghoon, International Relations Ambassador Lim Kimo, Jeju Tourism Association President Kang Donghun, as well as Zhao Yingchun, Deputy Secretary of the Leshan City Party Committee and Mayor of Leshan, and Que Xiaozhong, Deputy Director of the Emeishan Scenic Area Administrative Committee.

Governor Oh Younghoon visited Emeishan and the Leshan Giant Buddha the day before the agreement. Prior to the signing, he also met with Mayor Zhao Yingchun to build consensus on world heritage conservation policies and cultural values, and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in various fields such as world heritage, cultural tourism, and exchanges based on historical and cultural resources and the natural environment.

Emeishan, one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China, is the first place where Buddhism took root and temples were first established in China. The 'Leshan Giant Buddha,' carved into the mountainside in the 8th century, is the world's largest stone Buddha statue and is considered the most valuable Buddhist heritage of Emeishan.

This area was designated a UNESCO World Mixed Heritage site in 1996 in recognition of its beautiful natural scenery, harmonious coexistence of human cultural heritage, and ecological value as a habitat for various species.

Through this agreement, the two organizations will jointly plan and conduct promotional activities, expand international exchange networks by participating in each other's events and meetings, share knowledge and experience related to world heritage protection and utilization, and promote technical exchanges on sustainable tourism management and climate change response.

As a follow-up, Jeju plans to invite the Emeishan Scenic Area Administrative Committee to the World Heritage Global Forum to be held in Jeju during the World Heritage Festival this July, to share case studies on the management and utilization of the world heritage sites of Emeishan and the Leshan Giant Buddha.

Zhao Yingchun, Mayor of Leshan, said, "This agreement between Emeishan, one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China, and Hallasan, one of Korea's three major mountains, marks the beginning of concrete cooperation to protect and utilize world heritage, and will serve as a new cooperation platform between the two regions. We hope that this agreement will further elevate the relationship between local governments of both countries and that our long-standing friendship will continue."

Governor Oh Younghoon stated, "UNESCO’s recognition of the nature, culture, and history of both regions means that all humanity should remember and pass on these values to the next generation. I hope that exchanges related to world heritage, as well as sports exchanges among youth and university students, will lead to future growth for both regions."

He added, "With plans to open a direct flight to Chengdu Airport and the opening of the Lehan Airport at the end of this year, I hope exchanges between the two regions will become even more active."

On the same day, the Jeju Tourism Association (President Kang Donghun) and the Sichuan Tourism Association (President Dong Li) signed a friendship agreement to promote cultural and tourism cooperation between the two regions, including facilitating private exchanges, developing industrial cooperation, collaborating on market promotion, and strengthening exchange connections.

Meanwhile, the Jeju delegation previously visited Wuzhishan Tropical Rainforest National Park in Hainan Province to study ecological conservation policies and met with the Mayor of Wuzhishan to explore sustainable tourism cooperation models such as ecotourism, environmental education, and community cooperation between Jeju and Hainan, both cities recognized as World Natural Heritage sites.