Amidst rapid urban renewal, how can built heritage and the environment be protected? At the same time, how can we achieve the adaptive regeneration of historical space, as well as integrate heritage and urban environment with people’s needs? These are serious challenges that heritage conservation workers are being faced with, and conservation technology is the solution.

With the aim of encouraging the conservation and development of World Heritage in the Asia and Pacific region, as well as strengthening collaboration and exchange programmes with other organisations, WHITRAP Suzhou participated in the "International Conference on Conservation Technology of Built Heritage". At the conference, WHITRAP Suzhou discussed the topics of modern maintenance skills, architectural history, traditional crafts and case studies with around 80 representatives from the International Federation of Building Maintenance and Historical Building Protection (WTA), China Architecture Society Urban and Rural Heritage Committee and Hildesheim University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Germany. 

The conference was accompanied by an exhibition presenting examples of protection technology in which WHITRAP Suzhou introduced its achievements, functions and accomplishments in ancient architecture protection. WHITRAP also introduced the restoration trainings programmes carried out in the past decade, and its activities in the fields of World Heritage monitoring and conservation of the Classical Gardens. This exhibition helped improving communication among institutions active in the field of heritage conservation, strengthened professional relationships, and contributed to increase the visibility of WHITRAP.