ICOFOM ANNUAL MEETING 2008
MUSEUMS, MUSEOLOGY AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATION
 
   

Changsha, China
September 14 - 21, 2008

  
   
   
 
   
 
WELCOME WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT  
 
   

Dear ICOFOM members,

Once more we find ourselves preparing our Annual Meeting, organizad by ICOFOM in cooperation with ICOM China and Changsha is the city to receive us.
As usual, ICOFOM will be in charge of the academic programme of the event, working jointly with China, where the organizers will look after the preparation of the complementary activities programme that includes excursions and guided tours, visits to museums and sites, recreation, lodging reservations, internal transport.

The general topic to be discussed during the Symposium, Museums, Museology and Global Communication, will deal with the challenge which meet museums and museology nowadays, trying to preserve community’s identities and cultural diversity within the context of globalization and the rapid advancement of the information and communication technologies. The debate will emphasize the social role of museums when assisting their communities to achieve these goals, based always in an open and comprehensive dialogue and interactive and respectful processes among the different cultures.

In this communication you’ll find a welcome letter from the President ICOM China, Prof. Zhang Wenbin; an invitation letter for all our members, general information on the host country; the main topic and subtopics; a provocative paper by Dr. Lynn Maranda, from Vancouver University, Canada; the call for papers; the registration fees; the categories of participants and a pre-registration application form.

In a few days you’ll receive a second communication widening this information. The same will include the academic and scientific activities which will be held during our Symposium, as well as the hotels’ list and some general issues. We take this opportunity to remind you that one of the main objectives of this communication, sent as an advance of the Web new page that will be on line in a few days, is above all to give you the necessary information to write your papers and send them as soon as possible.

All the best

 
Prof. Nelly Decarolis
 ICOFOM President
  
 
   
 
   
 
WELCOME WORDS FROM PROF. ZHANG WENBIN  
 
   
Dear colleagues,

On behalf of the entire Chinese museum community, I am greatly delighted to invite all members of ICOFOM to come to Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province, China, in September 2008 to participate in ICOFOM 2008 Annual Meeting.

In suggesting the general theme - Museums, Museology and Global Communication - for ICOFOM 2008, both ICOFOM Board and Chinese organizers recognize that the rapid development of communication theory and technologies have been greatly changing our museological thinking and museum practices worldwide. As one of the most important theoretical forums of ICOM, ICOFOM must consider where and how communication theory is relevant and give its response and voice. ICOFOM 2008 Changsha meeting will provide a unique opportunity to hear, to discuss about the latest and very best new developments that relate the theme.

The host city of ICOFOM 2008, Changsha, is one of the most famous historical and cultural cities of China. With a history of more than 3000 years, the city has preserved 168 cultural Heritage Sites. Some 210 thousands cultural objects are collected and exhibited in various types of museums in Changsha.

Changsha boasts a fantastic landscape, outstanding talents and intelligence and the integration of brilliant history and modern atmosphere. Classic and fashion enhance each other. History united with the modern, the magnificent and the plain, keep together; tradition and romance live together. This is Changsha, happy star city. It is also a city with good location, pleasant climate and convenient transportation. It provides a developed transportation network by air, railways and roads.

We look forward to your participation in this fascinating and valuable meeting in September.

  
     
Prof. Zhang Wenbin
Chairperson, ICOM-Chinese National Committee
President, Chinese Society of Museums
  
 
   
 
   
 
INVITATION LETTER  
 
 
   
Buenos Aires and Changsha, April 2008
  
   
Dear colleagues and friends:

We hereby wish to invite you to participate in the Annual Meeting of the International Committee for Museology (ICOFOM) on Museums, Museology and Global Communication, to be held in the City of Changsha, Hunan Province, China on 14-21 September 2008.

The conclusions arising from the analysis of the topics discussed during the debates and lectures will be addressed at a Plenary Session and then included in a document to be published and disseminated among our members

We hereby attach a welcome letter from the Chairman ICOM China and President of the Chinese Society of Museums, Dr. Zhang Wenbin and from ICOFOM, a presentation of the host country, the agenda with the main topic and subtopics, a provocative paper prepared by Lynn Maranda, from Vancouver University in Canada, the call for papers. As usual the purpose of these documents is to encourage the submission of written papers and serve as the basis for future debates.

We also attach a Tentative Programme of Activities and a Form of Intent which we would greatly appreciate your completing, should you be interested in participating in the meeting. We will soon be sending you further details, as well as additional supplementary information.

We are willing to help you should you have any questions so do not hesitate to contact us.

Hoping to see you at the meeting we remain

Yours sincerely,

  
 
Dr. An Laishun
Vicepresident ICOFOM
Prof. Nelly Decarolis
President ICOFOM
 
   
 
   
 
Organizing Committee ICOFOM 2008  
 
Co-chairpersons:
Prof. Nelly Decarolis, President ICOFOM
Prof. Zhang Wenbin, Chairperson ICOM China

Vice-chairpersons:
Prof. Dr. An Laishun, Vice president ICOFOM
Prof. Chen Jianming, Director, Hunan Provincial Museum, China

Academic Coordinators:
André Desvallées, France
Prof. Zhang Wenbin, Chairperson ICOM China

Organizational Coordinator:
Mr. Huang Lei, Director, International Cultural Exchange Office,
Hunan Provincial Museum		  
   

Contact information

Prof. Nelly Decarolis
President ICOFOM
Rodriguez Peña 1427
C1021, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tel./fax 5411 4811 8020
e-mail. decarolis@fibertel.com.ar

Prof. Zhang Wenbin
Chinese Society of Museums
No,1 Xi Lou Hu Tong, Yong He Gong Da Jie, Dongcheng District,
Beijing, 100007 China
Tel. 86-10-64061200; Fax. 86-10-64031809
e-mail. als@ciae.com.cn

Prof. An Laishun
International Friendship Museum of China
No,1 Xi Lou Hu Tong, Yong He Gong Da Jie, Dongcheng District,
Beijing, 100007 China
Tel. 86-10-64061200; Fax. 86-10-64040710
e-mail. als@ciae.com.cn

  
   
The Coordination Office ICOFOM 2008 in Changsha, chaired by Mr. Huang Lei, is located at the Hunan Provincial Museum. All the staff in the office will be able to assist the delegates with any queries that they may have regarding their participation in the Meeting.
The contact information is as follows:
 
   
Mr. Huang Lei
Event Coordinator, ICOFOM 2008 Meeting
International Cultural Exchange Office
Hunan Provincial Museum
No, 50 Dong Feng Road, Changsha,
Hunan Province, 410005 China
Tel. 86-731-4514630; Fax. 86-731-4514649
e-mail. hl@hnmuseum.com
  
   
The major part of ICOFOM 2008 Meeting will take place in the Rongyuan Hotel, Nº 85, Rongyuan Road, Furong District, Changsha, China (tel. 86-731-2270057 / 2270058, Fax 86.731- 2270058)
Web site: http://tracel.csonline.com.cn/trszt/yonyan/
  
   
 
   
 
PRESENTATION OF THE HOST COUNTRY  
China  
 
China, one of the world's most ancient civilizations, has a recorded history of nearly 4,000 years. Located in East Asia, on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, is the third-largest country in the world, next only to Russia and Canada.

The Chinese mainland is flanked to the east and south by the Yellow, East China and South China Seas. A total of 5,400 islands dot China's vast territorial waters. The largest of these, with an area of about 36,000 sq km, is Taiwan. The many islands, islets, reefs and shoals on the South China Sea, are known as the South China Sea Islands.
China's topography is varied and complicated, with towering mountains, basins of different sizes, undulating
 
plateaus and hills and flat and fertile plains. A bird's-eye view of China shows that it's terrain descends in four steps from west to east. The top of this four-step "staircase"is the Tibet Plateau. Averaging more than 4,000 m above sea level, it is often called the "roof of the world". Rising 8,848 m. above sea level is Mt. Everest, the world's highest mountain and the main peak of the Himalayas.

China abounds in rivers and as a result, the country is rich in water-power resources, leading the world in hydropower potential, with reserves of 680 million kw. The Yangtze is the largest river in China, and the third- longest in the world, next only to the Nile in northeast Africa and the Amazon in South America. The Yangtze empties into the Pacific Ocean.

The catchment area for the interior rivers that flow into inland lakes or disappear into deserts or salt marshes makes up 36 percent of China's total land area. The Yellow River valley was one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese civilization.
In addition to those endowed by nature, China has a famous man-made river, the Grand Canal, running from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south. The Grand Canal is the longest as well as the oldest man-made waterway in the world, linking five major rivers.

China has a most diverse wildlife. There are more than 4,400 species of vertebrates and the most abundant plant life in the world. In order to preserve the nation's zoological and botanical resources and save species close to extinction, China has established nature projects to protect forests and wildlife. The nature reserves in China have joined the "International People and Biosphere Protection Network" and some of them have been included in the listing of the world's important wetlands.

  
   
Hunan Province  
 
Hunan, with its area of 210,000 km2, located in the middle of Southern China, is between the north latitude of 24°39'and 30°08', and between the east longitude of 108°47'and114°15'.

The Northern part of Hunan backs on the Yangtze River and opposites Hubei Province, water transportation is convenient. It is within the opening up and developing zone in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River.

Southern Hunan borders Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, being adjacent to the coastal opening up zone, Hongkong and Macau, and a through container truck can reach Hongkong at the same day.

Hunan Province is divided into 13 provincially administered municipalities and 1autonomy, its capital is Changsha City., with 66,977,000 populations at present, among which 23,776,800 in city and town and 43,200,200 in countryside.

Hunan Province possesses 10 most popular tourism regions and more than 100 scenic spots. The famous Buddhist mountain, Nan Yue, is one of the Five Great Mountains in China. Yueyang Tower is among the Three Famous Towers in the south of China. Then there is the Wulingyuan Scenic Area which is centered on the Zhangjiajie Forest National Park. Once it was developed, the area shocked the world with its distinguishing features, tourists call it as the "the World's Natural Wonder", and UNESCO granted it as the World Natural Heritage.

It is continental and middle subtropical monsoon humid climate in Hunan. The annual mean temperature is 16°-18° and sunlight is 1300-1800 hours, with 278-300 frost-free days and 1200-1700 mm mean annual precipitation. Thanks to the sufficient sunshine duration and rainfall as well as sharply defined four seasons, this is suitable for agricultural development.
  
   
Changsha city  
 
Changsha, a famous city with three thousand years' history dated back to the ancient Chu State and Han Dynasty, the nowadays capital city of Hunan Province, is not only the political, economic and cultural center of the whole province, but also one of the earliest 24 famous cities of great historical and cultural interest in China as well as one of the cities where tourism is playing a major role in opening it to the rest of the world.

  
 

Located at the east to the north of Hunan Province, within a rich and beautiful central Xiang River valley plain, in the lower reaches of the Xiang River and west on the Changliu basin, the city of Changsha, stretches from 111°54' to 114°15' east of longitude for about 88kms and from27°5 1' to 28°40' north of latitude for about 230 kms.

As in a subtropical area characterized by clear distinction between seasons, Changsha has a humid monsoon climate with heavy rainfall in the late spring and early summer and with much drought in the late summer and the autumn. The mean annual temperature varies from 16.8°C to 17.2°C and the coldest days are in January with the average temperature of 4.7°C.

Its total area is 11,819.5 sq-km and population 6.13 million, whiles the present city proper covering 556.3 sq-km and inhabited by 2.086 million urban citizens.

With a long history, there had been activities of hominid in the Changsha area since the Paleolith Era. In the Neolithic Era, gens and clans had come into being. In the Shang Dinasty(16th Century BC-11th Century BC), Changsha belonged to the area of Yangyue and was a branch of Baiyue tribe.

With a long-standing name of 'a famed prefecture of Mountains and Waters', Changsha boasts a picturesque landscape and graceful natural environment. With the west bank dominated by the green Yuelu Mountain, Orange Island and Moon Isle floating on it, 12 parks and many greenbelts dotted with the city, the Xiang River flows through the city from south to north and Liuyang River winds its way from east to west, turning it into a unique picture of a scenic area integrated with not only clean waters and tranquil mountains but also isles within the city.

The ancient tombs of Han Dynasty, the wooden and bamboo slips of Three States Period, the Yuelu Academy, the Tianxin Tower, the Autumn-Admiring Pavilion, the Yuelu Mountain, the Orange Island and the etc., all dates back to the ancient star city of Changsha, containing profound cultural meaning for the development of local tourism. The charming landscapes both within and out of the city make Changsha a famous beautiful city in Southern China.

The transportation and communication in Changsha is convenient. It has formed a modern system of water, land and air transportation. Changsha Huanghua Airport is an international one which has 39 direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hongkong, Bangkok and other metropolitans and areas. Since the expressways network of the whole province with Changsha as its core has been formed, and the state highways crisscross the city, Changsha is ranked as one of the 45 main hub cities of highway transportation in China. Changsha is also an important hub city of railway transportation in China.
 
   
Hunan Provincial Museum  
 
Hunan Provincial Museum was set up in Changsha, the famous historical and cultural city, in the early 1950's of the 20th century, which was the only provincial comprehensive museum about history and art in Hunan Province. It lies in the Kaifu District of Changsha, adjoining the beautiful Martyr's Park. It has an area of 51000 square meters and the total public building has 29000 square meters.


With establishment and development of more than half century, it has 180,000 pieces of collections now, among which, the cultural relics from Mawangdui Han Tombs, bronzes found in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, ceramics in ancient time, calligraphies and paintings and modern cultural relics are the most distinct features.
 
 

Gathered and based on the cultural treasures of Hunan area, Hunan Provincial Museum formed the five permanent exhibitions, which respectively are "Exhibition of Mawangdui Han Tombs", "Exhibition of Shang and Zhou Bronzes Found in Hunan", "Exhibition of Ceramics from Famous Kilns in Hunan" and "Exhibition of Calligraphies in the Ming and Qing Dynasties". With their particular styles, they paint a panoramic historical picture of Hunan and Chu civilization, alluring more than ten millions of visitors from home and overseas.

The Hunan Provincial Museum’s philosophy is “human-oriented, benefit society” and “entertain audiences” through the ISO9001 and ISO14001 Quality and Environmental Control System, improved exhibition and service level, it was successfully chosen a AAAA National Tourist Attraction. In recent years, Hunan Provincial Museum continually bring special exhibitions such as "From Eastern Han to High Tang: A Trans-cultural Journey", "National Treasures: the exhibition of China National Museum's Collection", "Painting Art of Russia in the past 300 Years", "Beyond the Vision--Greatest National Geographic Photographs Exhibition Tour China", all of them built up a good image of display organization with high specialty level in public opinion. Serving as an important window through which to interpret the Hunan culture, Hunan Provincial Museum attracts more than million of visitors every year from home and abroad since 2005.
 
   
Yuelu mountain and Yuelu Academy  
 
The mountain lied in the west bank of the Xiang River of Changsha City, a popular scenic spots with historical interest. The tourism area covers an area of 553.3 hectare, the peak is 300m high. In the forest there are the former residencies of some ancient notables as well as the memorial tombs of some later-day revolutionists: Huang Xing, Cai E, Chen TianHua, Jiao DaFeng. Confucian, Buddhism and Taoism can all be found here, their heritages are sparkled everywhere in the mountain.

  
 

The main scenic spots are: The YueLu Academy, the Lushan Temple, the Sui Dagoba, the YunLu Palace, the monument of King Yu and the AiWan Pavilion. As the head of the Four national academies, the YueLu Academy is the source of today's Hunan University. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit, locating under the BaoHuang Cave. The academy remains complete after 1,000 years.
  
   
Feng Huang ancient city  
 
Feng Huang City is the county seat of Feng Huang County, in the Tujia & Miao Autonomous District. It is close to the Tuo River, featuring in the high-feet wooden frame houses which are constructed in the hills. Here is the hometown of the literary master Shen Congwen, he described Feng Huang's plain and attracting lifestyle in his famous work of Remote Town.

There are Eight Delights of Feng Huang: the vegetable market on the Tuo River bank, and the washing woman in the river; the High-feet Wooden House in Shawan; the outdoor restaurants outside of the North Gate and on the river bank;
 
 
the Wenchangge Primary School which has trained Shen Congwen (a great writer) and Huang Yongyu (a great painter); the Old Town of Huangsi Bridge; the Wen Temple, the Sanwang Temple, the Wuhou Temple, the Wenchang Pavilion and the Bijia Cheng, and the ancient stage, where the local painters gather.
  
   
Zhangjiajie Forest National Park  
 
It locates in the south of Wulingyuan Scenic Area, with the total area of 481,000 m2. In 1982, the park was approved by the National Planning Board to be China's first forest national park.

It combines with the Suoxi Valley, Tianzi Mountain and Yangjiazhai scenic range to form the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, that was in 1998 granted as a key scenic spot by the State Council. And then in 1992 , it was listed in the World Heritage Directory by UNESCO, became a world-widely protected heritage.

In 1994, it was named by the former National Forest Industry Ministry as a "Model National Park", where the primitive natural scenes highlight Zhangjiajie in the tourists' travel notes: the uninterrupted peaks and steep cliffs, the deep valleys and far-below streams, the greenery woods and clean water, and the mist wreathed and the mountain-tops. Zhangjiajie is an amazing integration of being magnificent, fabulous, secluded, wild and elegant, as well as a unbelievable carrier of mountains, valleys, cliffs, forest and water.

Within the park, there are altogether more than 2,000 cliff mountains, towering into the sky like a dancing group, with various physical appearance and grand force of character. Standing on the top of a mountain, tourists may recognize the actors: the towering pillars, the indestructible high city walls; some bring you a chill like two stacked eggs; some allow you relax like a waving boat.

Here the water is not only clean but also contribute an attraction. Five streams snakes in the deep valleys. The waterfalls sometimes are hidden in the jungle, sometimes shock you with the boom reflected from the valley.
 
   
 
   
 
AGENDA  
MUSEUMS, MUSEOLOGY AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATION  
 
1. MUSEUMS, GLOBAL FORUMS FOR CONTEMPORARY MUSEOLOGY  
  1.1 Museums, communication agents within cross-cultural understanding
  1.2 The global dialogue among communities, an interactive process
  1.3 Social and economic changes, a challenge for cultural diversity
  1.4 Museums, identity and cultural diversity, outlining a global ethics
 
   
2. MUSEUMS AND MUSEOLOGY, CHANGING ROLES  
  2.1 Museums, museology and the new Information and Comunication Technologies
  2.2 Museums, museology and the social impact of informatics
  2.3 The symbolism of the virtual space and a new interpretation of reality
  2.4 A global vision, preserving plural identities/common heritage in a changing world.
 
   
 
   
 
PROVOCATIVE PAPER  
 
REFLECTIONS ON THE TOPICS OF THE ICOFOM SYMPOSIUM 2008
Museums, Museology and Global Communication
Lynn Maranda - Vancouver, Canada
  
   
The world is changing with a rapidity that exceeds any imagination. Communication is almost instantaneous. Every structure within the communications grid is affected, whether it be cultural, social, economic, political or otherwise in nature. So too, museums and by extension, museology, are drawn into the web and many of the ‘sacred’ constructs and elements are being bombarded by a movement of change the world has hitherto not experienced.
Can museums/museology withstand the onslaught as some of its most cherished components are challenged? Can museums continue to be the sole keepers of the world’s tangible and intangible heritage? At the same time, will museums be able to maintain the ethical precepts they hold so dear? The very fact that the core of museum work, the collections, can now be digitized and presented in so many different ways poses a challenge to the ‘sanctity’ of the object. It now questions the closely held perception of authenticity, and even calls into question whether the ‘real’ is necessary any more.
Communication by the current electronic means is now so wide-spread and multifaceted that information and images can easily be appropriated, manipulated, and sent to the far reaches of the earth within an instant. Think of the potential consequences for the museum object, from one that is fixed in a finite space, to one that is suddenly mobile in a space that is virtually infinite. No limits in time or place. Hard to conceive of such an extreme change in such a short space of time. But how the museum chooses to meet this challenge will depend largely on how it decides to address the issue.
Yet another ‘new reality’ is securely in place. What does the museum do? Meet it head-on? Fight it tooth and nail? Give in to it? Become complacent in the hope that the phenomenon will pass? Ignore it? Examine ways in which it can work? Whatever course is chosen, it cannot be avoided. It is global and it is here to stay and it will evolve into what we do not yet know at present.
Museums will be compelled to change regardless of approach, or they risk being left behind as a useful commodity to the publics they serve. They can internalize the rationale for the route they choose to take or they can reach outward towards the benefits that can be gleaned. Certainly, museums have their collections which they will continue to process and preserve for present and future generations. Museums almost religiously safeguard these materials for use, normally by them for the edification of their publics. But what about their use by the public at large? Museums now have the opportunity to be able to disseminate their collections to their publics on a scale unmatched just a few years ago. Databases, in which collections information and images are stored, have been developed and made available to whomever would wish access. The outreach capabilities are almost endless.
But, what about the important question of the relationship between globalization and cultural diversity? Cultures have undergone change ever since contact with ‘others’. Trading between different cultural groups and the resultant cultural appropriations have been a way of life since time immemorial. ‘Unspoiled’ cultures no longer exist and blue jeans and T shirts are worn even in remote ‘third world’ villages. While evidence of contact and change first manifests itself in the material culture of a people, this does not necessarily mean that the structures of that culture will also change in a like manner. Change, however, is as ongoing as the cultural continuum in which it is reflected. Nothing stays the same. Now, with the advent of an electronic evolution that challenges anything that has gone before, is there a fear that the cultures will cease to exist in diverse forms and that cultural annihilation could be the norm?
It is certain, however, that high-speed communication will afford the rapid dissemination of information on any subject to wherever and whomever has the economic and technological capability to receive the same. For museums and museology, is this not an opportunity to play yet another role, this time in support of the preservation of cultural diversity through the promotion of cross cultural respect and understanding through dialogue involving multiple voices?
The purpose of the 2008 theme and the topics for discussion is to begin to examine the interface between global communications and museums/museology, and the changes this phenomenon has already made and will continue to make in our arena of activity. How will we address this issue? How can we make it work for us? Over time, there have been many other external-originating factors which have caused museums to change their perspective and ultimately their way of thinking and their mode of operation. True, the biggest incursion into our comfortable little world has probably been the current electronic ‘revolution’. Will museums adapt to this new stimuli as it has to so many before? Can these changes be reflected in the precepts governing museology? Is there another ‘new’ museology on the horizon? Who knows what the future will hold and where museums and museology will be even a decade from now? Rhetorical questions for speculative thought in a world full of change and yes, uncertainty.
  
Lynn Maranda, Canada
 30 March 2008
  
 
   
 
   
 

CALL FOR PAPERS
RULES FOR THE PRESENTATION

  
 
ICOFOM will accept as contributions to the academic discussions on Museum Theory the papers produced according to the following specifications:
  
   
  1. Writen in computer, in software compatible to MS Office 95, 97 or 2000 (Word 6.0, 7.0 or 8.0) in one of the ICOM working languages: English, French or Spanish.
  2. Papers should not exceed 8 pages, plus bibliography and an abstract (of 1 page at the most) in at least one of the other two ICOM languages.
  3. Pages must be size A4, printed only in one side of the paper, without numbers; text must be written in font Arial size 11, single space and margins as follows: 0.98’ (superior), 0.98’ (inferior), 1.18’ on both sides.
    4. Text must be justified and saved as .doc and if not possible, as .rft or .txt.
    5. Headline:
Title, in capital letters, aligned to the left, in font Arial 14, black
Below, in small letters, name of the author, institution and country, in font Arial
size 12.
    Example:
MUSEUMS, MUSEOLOGY AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATION
Mary Smith - Regional Museum - Vancouver, Canada
    6. Papers should be sent by e-mail -in an attach file- to the three addresses mentioned below.
    7. Since 2008 ICOFOM has developed an Evaluation Committee chaired by André Desvallées, with François Mairesse and a group of English, French and Spanish speaking ICOFOM experts. The Committee will be in charge of reading, evaluating and selecting the papers received for the ICOFOM Meeting on Museums, Museology and Global Communication, to be published in the ICOFOM Study Series (ISS).
    8. Dr. Laishun will be in charge of coordinating and evaluating the papers written in Chinese and their English translation.
    9. The deadline for the presentation of papers will be Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Papers received after this date will not be evaluated nor included in the ISS 2008.
    10. The deadline to inform the authors about the final decision of the Evaluation Committee will be Monday, July 14, 2008.
 
   
André Desvallées
President Evaluation Committee
Permanent Counsellor ICOFOM
e-mail : adesval@club-internet.fr
phone/fax: 33 1 4724 1638
49,rue Philippe Triaire
92000 Nanterre, France
 Nelly Decarolis
President ICOFOM
e-mail: decarolis@fibertel.com.ar
phone/fax: 54 11 4811 8020
Rodriguez Peña 1427
C1021 Buenos Aires, Argentina
 An Laishun
Vicepresident ICOFOM
e-mail: als@ciae.com.cn
phone: 86-10-64061200
fax: 86-10- 64040710
Nº 1 Xi Lou Hu Tong,
Yong He Gong Da Jie,
Dongcheng District
Beijing, 100007 China
 
   
 
   
 
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME  
 
31st ICOFOM ANNUAL MEETING
  
   
Changsha, Hunan Province, China
September 14-21, 2008
  
   
To downoad Preliminary Programme click Here
 
   
 
   
 
REGISTRATION FORM  
 
   
Please complete and return this form to ICOFOM 2008 Organizing Committee, if possible, by August 10 2008.
Contact details are as follows:
Mr. Huang Lei, Event Coordinator, ICOFOM 2008 Meeting,
Hunan Provincial Museum, No, 50 Dong Feng Road, Changsha , Hunan Province, 410005 China.
Tel. 86-731-4514630; Fax. 86-731-4514649, e-mail: huanglei97@yahoo.com.cn
  
   
Download this form here  
   
 
   
 
GENERAL INFORMATION  
 
Visas
International delegates will require a VISA to enter in China and should contact Chinese Embassies or Consulates to make the necessary arrangements.
For the purpose of Visa application, an official invitation letter from the Chairperson of ICOM China will be sent to you.
  
 
Arrival in and Departure from Changsha
You will be met at Changsha Huanghua international airport by the staff of Hunan Provincial Museum and taken to the hotel. The staff will also pick you up for your departure home from Changsha. The necessary information (such as names, arrival /departure dates and hours, flight numbers, and number of persons) must be provided.
 
 
The contact is:
Mr. Huang Lei, Event Coordinator
ICOFOM 2008 Meeting
Hunan Provincial Museum,
No, 50 Dong Feng Road, Changsha, Hunan Province,
410005 China
Tel. 86-731-4514630
Fax. 86-731-4514649
e-mail: huanglei97@yahoo.com.cn
  
 
Things to bring
The daytime temperature in Changsha in September averages 32 degrees Celsius. In Zhangjiajie, the excursion place, the temperature may be 8/10 degrees lower. As we will be walking and visiting sites, please bring the following:
- comfortable walking shoes and clothes
- hat and an umbrella (for both sun and rain)
- and of course any medicine you are required to take
Be sure you have adequate travel and health insurance, as ICOM China cannot be held responsible in the event of serious health problems. Participants are responsible for all inoculations that are considered necessary.
Voltage for electric appliances in China is 220V.
  
   
Accommodations in Changsha
In Yongyuan Hotel (web: http://travel.csonline.com.cn/trszt/yonyan/ ), the venue of ICOFOM 2008 meeting, the local organizer can arrange two-bed standard rooms for participants who may want to share one room. The room is quite comfortable even for two people. The cost of each room is 300 RMB per night. These means that each person only needs to pay about US$20 per night including breakfasts.
 
   
Hotels List  
   
 
   
RONGYUAN HOTEL (4 *)
Villa-style building
  
Rongyuan Hotel, located in Changsha City Downtown, less than 1 km. from the train station and 31 km. from Huanghua International Airport, is situated by the courtyard of the Hunan Provincial Committee and used to lodge their guests. Established in 1952, it is a garden-style, multi-purpose eco-hotel, which relys on a very convenient public transportation.

  
 

Rongyuan Hotel covers about 153.300 square meters, with a total constructed area of 14.500 square meters, with lush vegetation surrounded by waters, known as the "Diaoyutai". In the early years of the last century, it was the private garden of the Hunan Provincial leaders. Since the 50', it became a place for local and foreign authorities (the party and state leaders).

The hotel has seven elegant villa-style small buildings, with modern facilities. It also owns a Presidential Suite, standard and single rooms, a variety of restaurants, a sports recreation center as well as for conferences, including a business centre with spaces for official meetings, tourism, leisure and venues, all providing hot water and central air condition the 24 hours.
  
   
SHERATON CHANGSHA HOTEL (5*)  
The Sheraton Changsha Hotel is located in the downtown central business district. It is part of the Changsha Yunda International Plaza, which includes the hotel and an offices space, linked to a six-level shopping mall.
The 385 guest suites and rooms feature the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper (SM) bed, the large windows with unobstructed city views, LCD TV and separate showers in the bathrooms. Business guests will appreciate the high speed of the Internet access, with an uninterrupted power source in all the guest rooms.

 
 

For a greater comfort, the Executive Level offers spectacular city views and access to the Club Lounge, where it is served a complimentary breakfast, refreshments during all day and Happy Hour beverages.
Find a variety of dining choices in the four thematic restaurants, including an all-day dining venue, a 24 hours Hunan Food Street, an Italian restaurant and a Cantonese one, with 25 private dining rooms. Enjoy evening entertainments in the jazz-bar or meet with friends and colleagues in the lobby bar.
With nine multi-function meeting rooms, a ballroom and a business centre - all equipped with the latest technology and audiovisual equipment, the hotel is ready to shelter your next meeting or event.
Discover total well-being in the health and wellness centre, which includes a gymnasium with the latest technogym excite cardio and resistance equipment, reflexology, steam, sauna, indoor pool, beauty parlor, roof-garden and full-service spa.
More information:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1705
  
   
SOUTHERN PEARL INTERNATIONAL HOTEL (4*)  
Southern Pearl International Hotel is located at the centre of Changsha, with convenient transportation, at 25 minutes driving distance from Huanghua Airport, 8 minutes driving distance from the railway station and most tourist attractions which are located less than 20 minutes driving from the hotel.

 
 

Southern Pearl International Hotel, is an integrative international hotel which offers leisure, entertainment, dining and guest rooms. It has 208 different kind of guest rooms and 6 meeting rooms which can lodge 200 people, suitable for holding all kind of seminars and press conferences.

Dining: both Chinese and Western restaurants.
Meetings: Pearl Multifunctional Conference Hall can shelter 300-400 people and
Yizheng Conference Hall can lodge 130 people.
Services: Business center, car rentals, ticket service, washing rooms, shopping center,
parking port.
Entertainments: Health and wellness, swimming, chess and cards,hairdressing.

Address: N 489 Middle Furong Road (1 Block) Changsha, Hunan Province

  
 
Meals and coffee/tea during the meeting
The breakfasts are included in the hotel rooms, all the lunches and coffee/tea as well as dinners during the Meeting are invited by the local organizer. It means that the food, coffee/tea during the Meeting will be free for the participants except for special needs or extras.
  
   
Working languages
The working languages will be English and Chinese. Simultaneous translation between these two languages will be provided at the plenary sessions, round tables, and official opening/closing sessions.
  
   
Registration fees
Registration fees for ICOFOM 2008 are requested (delegates US$200; accompanying person US$120) in order to cover part of the following expenditures:
- Airport reception/seeing-off service
- All sessions ICOFOM 2008 meeting
- Kit and working documents
- Welcome receptions
- All meals in the period of ICOFOM 2008 meeting
- Buses related to activities of the meeting, visits and excursion
- A three-day Excursion to Zhangjijie, World Heritage (18-20 September)
- Two nights hotel rooms during the excursion to Zhangjiajie (18 and 19, September)
  
   
Excursion to Zhangjiajie, World Heritage, 18-20 September
For the participants who pay the Registration Fee, the three-day Excursion (18-20 September) to Zhangjiajie, World Heritage, will be free of charge including two nights hotel rooms (18 and 19 September). But due to limitation of resources, two-bed rooms will be shared at the hotel. If single rooms are requested by the participants, an extra amount of US$30 per night will be asked.
  
   
The Changsha 2008 organizers and the ICOFOM Board wish you a pleasant meeting and are looking forward to working with you in China.