CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- The Symposium on the Joint Application for World Cultural Heritage by the Baiheliang Inscription of China and the Nilometers of Egypt’s Rhoda Island, hosted by China Cultural Center in Cairo in partnership with the Chongqing Municipal Culture and Tourism Development Committee, took place in Cairo recently.

China and Egypt are the only countries in the world that still preserve the tangible remnants of water level measurement. The Baiheliang Inscription located in Chongqing and the Nilometers in Egypt respectively represent the close relationship between an agricultural civilization and a river water resource in Asia and Africa.

At the symposium, the deputy director of Chongqing Baiheliang Underwater Museum and an expert of underwater archaeology from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities introduced the Baiheliang Inscription and the Egyptian Nilometers in detail from the perspective of historical, scientific and artistic value.

Experts from relevant departments of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, the colleges of archaeology of Cairo University and Archaeology of Halwan University, and the Chongqing Fuling Culture and Tourism Committee conducted an in-depth discussion on the joint application of world heritage. Egypt will set up a special working group as soon as possible and spare no efforts to push for the early and substantive progress of the joint application.

This joint application will effectively fill the gap in the current World Heritage List with respect to the hydrological heritage, help the two countries enhance the understanding of each other's civilization, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning among the countries jointly developing the Belt and Road Initiative. (Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)