Seeking Recognition for Bali's Heritage

(3/8/2008) The Jakarta Post reports that a team representing Bali is expected to visit the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris soon in a continuing effort to lobby for three sites in Bali to be names as World Heritage Sites.

Following several miss-starts over the past 8 years that saw administrative mistakes thwart the application process, interested officials are renewing their efforts to have the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces in Tabanan, Pura Taman Ayun in Badung and the Pakerisan River valley in Gianyar named to the prestigious list of human and natural history sites marked for careful preservation.

A.A. Prana, a leader from Bali's tourism industry, told the Post, "This is a final interview that will determine whether the three sites should be honored as world heritage sites."

During an inspection visit conducted by UNESCO Ambassadors last year, the Bali applicants were reminded that a comprehensive management plan for the three sites demonstrating commitments from the government and the people in surrounding communities would play a major role in any final decision for Heritage Site status.

The Jatiluwih Site represents one of Bali's few remaining examples of the centuries old subak system of traditional water management embracing a 300 hectare area of rice terraces.

The Taman Ayun Temple is one of Bali's most popular tourist sites, located in the village of Mengwi. The temple was built in the 16th century and is an outstanding example of traditional Balinese temple architecture encircled by a moat.

The Pakerisan River in Gianyar near Ubud is located in the area of Bali providing evidence of earliest human settlement of the Island and is home to eight historical temples of Hindu and Buddhist origins that demonstrate the close link these two faiths enjoy in the evolution of modern Balinese Hinduism.