Tsinghua University (THU), Together with Beijing Tsinghua Heritage Institute for Digitization (THID), ICOMOS China and Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (BUCEA), as Bidding Winners for Jointly Hosting CIPA2021 (The 28th Biennial Symposium of the International Scientific Committee for Documentation of Cultural Heritage).

From 1st to 5th September 2019, the 27th International symposium for documentation of cultural heritage (CIPA2019) was held in the historical city of Ávila, a world cultural heritage site in central-western Spain declared by UNESCO. 316 registered representatives from 34 countries and regions on five continents attended the symposium themed “Documenting the Past for Better Future”. 32 Chinese from Tsinghua University, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tianjin University, Tongji University, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Beijing Tsinghua Heritage Institute for Digitization, Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute, attended this symposium. China was third in numbers of participants, after Italy and Spain.

At the meeting, the representatives of different countries and regions discussed digital solutions in the fields of cultural heritage protection and utilization through exciting activities including (industry/government/academia) leader keynotes, 33 parallel academic sessions, best-practice case-study sharing, poster presentations and experiential exhibitions. Topics included the whole range of digital technologies and techniques for cultural heritage conservation such as 3D modeling technology, multi-sensor data fusion, integration of intangible cultural heritage, building information modeling (BIM) for cultural heritage, application of artificial intelligence, virtual museums and dynamic monitoring of cultural heritage.

Beijing, China was congratulated (by CIPA president Stratos Stylianidis) as the host city of CIPA 2021 during the closing ceremony. This is the first time since the establishment of CIPA in 1968 that Mainland China will be hosting the biennial symposium. On behalf of the CIPA 021 Beijing Organizing Committee, Tsinghua University professor Dang Anrong, THID president He Yan, and Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture vice-president Li Aiqun introduced the agenda of the 2021 symposium and showed an exciting and dynamic short clip as the trailer for CIPA 2021.

CIPA 2021 will be held at Tsinghua University from 28th to 1st September 2021, jointly organized by Tsinghua University, ICOMOS China, Tsinghua Heritage Institute for Digitization and Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. This year’s symposium themed “Great Learning & Digital Emotion” focuses on the humanistic appeal of cutting-edge cultural heritage technologies; highlighting China’s digital cultural heritage work and its contribution to the construction of the discipline in theory and practice; promoting CIPA across all related fields of cultural heritage from technical data acquisition and management to comprehensive and integrated data application and services.

During its 50-year-long developmental history, CIPA has held 27 international biennial symposia in Europe, America, Africa and Asia (such as Tokyo and Taipei). Beijing’s successful bid for the 28th symposium is the result of the long and thoughtful planning by the Organizing Committee. Teachers and students from all three institutions have cooperated over the past years and developed a stunning symposium concept and theme (“Great Learning & Digital Emotion” with five sub topics) that was very well received by the CIPA Executive Committee. Another reason for the success of the bid are China’s achievements in the realm of cultural heritage protection and documentation over the past decade. These efforts are directed at her 5000-year-long history with diverse cultural heritage, which shows China’s growing cultural confidence and the country’s capacity for heritage protection. The organization of CIPA 2021 in Beijing is in line with the (2019-2022) three-year plan for building the Chinese capital into an international exchange center and the transformation into a national cultural center and science and technology hub in the long run. CIPA is one of the oldest and largest international scientific committees of ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites), jointly founded with ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) in 1986. Originally named just CIPA (“Comité International de la Photogrammétrie Architecturale” or in English, “International Committee of Architectural Photogrammetry”), it is today known as “CIPA Heritage Documentation” and an international organization with a very specific role to play in the field of cultural heritage.