In 2015, Shan went to Afghanistan. He was asked to put on a bullet-proof jacket once he boarded the airplane. When he arrived, he wasn't able to visit local historical relics because of social unrest.
That's when he got the idea to build a dialogue platform for countries with ancient civilizations to work to preserve them despite natural disasters, war, terrorism, illegal sales and improper protection methods.
With the support of the Chinese government, the first and second Taihe Forum were held in Beijing for two consecutive years starting in 2016. The theme of this year's forum was "Echoes of the Ancient Civilizations" and delegates from 21 countries and three international organizations attended the forum in September and shared views on addressing challenges and exploring effective conservation practices.
"ISIS has bombarded cultural relics in Iraq -- even Al-Hadba' Minaret and Al-Nouri Mosque. Local culture and cultural diversity in Iraq are in great jeopardy," said Fryad Rwandzi, Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities.
Shan said at the forum that the museum has sponsored a Taihe Forum Fund to provide academic and technical support for countries facing troubles, such as Iraq and Syria due to war and terrorist attacks and Mexico following earthquakes.
Olga Orive, an archeologist and member of the Executive Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS, Mexico), expressed her gratitude and was impressed by the restoration skills of the museum.
"Similarly, we have a 'relics hospital' in Mexico, but our techniques, equipment and specialized conservators are in short supply. Mexico and China should collaborate more in such fields," said Orive.
PRESERVATION URGENTLY NEEDED
"The Palace Museum has built a communication mechanism for all countries. Three decades ago, you could hardly imagine conservation experts talking about how to combat threats together," said Giora Solar, Israeli architect and urban planner and a member of ICOMOS. "Such exchanges are quite necessary in a globalized era."
In Solar's opinion, it's dangerous to try to transform old, diverse cultures into a single culture.
"Conflicts between different civilizations are inevitable, but that shows the various unique nations and cultural features," said Solar.
Maintaining cultural diversity under globalization faces growing challenges, and countries have tried to find their own methods for preservation.
Papantla Indigenous Art Center in Mexico is one such attempt. The center consists of 16 "house-schools," each specializing in one of the arts of the Totonac people, including ceramics, textiles, painting, the art of healing, and traditional dance.
In 2012, the center was added to the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices for intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Orive said the new media methods adopted by the Palace Museum are innovative and worth learning from.
"The forum has built a platform across borders, countries, religions and even races," said Solar, pointing at his forum name card. "You see, there is no nationality. We are here for the sake of cultural inheritance."
Solar said he was glad to see he was treated as a professional instead of an official.
On the eve of this year's Taihe forum, traditional Chinese opera and folk music were heard in the Forbidden City's Changyin Pavilion. The former royal theater had been renovated for the first time in over a century.
"This is a way to keep traditional cultures alive. Audiences will hear the echoes of history from the stage," said Solar.
When Lyu heard Changyin Pavilion will soon to open to the public and host traditional Peking Opera performances, he was excited.
"I can't wait to watch the performance and record this historical moment with my camera," said Lyu.
