UNESCO adds three Chinese entries to Memory of the World Register

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced the inscription of 74 new documentary heritage items in its Memory of the World Register, including three submissions from China: the Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng, the Steles of Shaolin Temple (566-1990), and Trilingual Inscription (TribhashaSellipiya).

With this addition, a total of 18 Chinese documentary heritage items have been inscribed in the Memory of the World Register.

The Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng is a set of ancient Chinese bronze bells that were discovered in the Tombs of Marquis Yi of Zeng in 1978, in Suizhou City, Hubei Province. The bells date back 2,400 years, making them the largest and most well-preserved in the world. The bell set bears inscriptions totaling 3,755 characters, representing the only known musical theory documents of the 5th century BCE with such a scale.

Shaolin Temple, established in 495 AD, is known as the ancestral home of Chinese Buddhism's Chan sect, an ancient royal temple, and one of the birthplaces of Chinese martial arts. The surviving 499 steles present a relatively complete and coherent sequence of historical documents in the form of stone inscriptions dating back to 1424.

These inscriptions serve as original records created in the process of extensive interactions between the Shaolin Temple and national political powers, famous intellectuals, secular society, and overseas monks throughout various Chinese dynasties.

The Trilingual Inscription is a stone tablet with Chinese, Persian, and Tamil inscriptions, praising Buddha, God Vishnu, and Allah. Discovered in 1911 in Sri Lanka by a British engineer, it is now preserved in the Colombo National Museum, with a replica exhibited in the Galle National Museum.

Dated Feb. 15, 1409, the Inscription was installed by Chinese Admiral Zheng He (1371-1433), a mariner and diplomat in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Originally inscribed in the Treasure Boat Shipyard Park in Nanjing, it was brought to Sri Lanka during his third voyage. The text mentions offerings made to a sacred mountain shrine. This is the only trilingual inscription having texts in Chinese, Tamil, and Persian, which represent three different regions and cultures.