Yogyakarta, April 22 (NNN-ANTARA) The Ministry of Culture and Tourism in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will conduct a campaign for cultural preservation in May this year.
Director General of Historical and Archaeological Affairs Hari Untoro Drajat said here on Saturday the campaign is part of an effort to reconstruct temples damaged by a powerful earthquake in Yogyakarta and Central Java last year.
"The temples are world-renown Indonesian cultural heritages which have to be preserved as tourist attractions," Hari Untoro Drajat said after opening a "Thousand Mysteries of Borobudur" exhibition at Yogya Gallery.
He said Indonesia was rich in cultural assets of precious value, although the country was less competitive in the economic and technological fields than other countries.
Yogyakarta was known as the city of culture and a lot of information about it can be obtained from books and the media.
"The many Buddhist temples in Yogyakarta indicate that Indonesia`s civilization interacted with those of other countries such at Thailand and Kambodia," Hari Untoro said.
He added that the vision of cultural preservation was not only focused on physical aspects but also on intensification as well.
Hary Untoro said the cultural preservation effort would cover the protection, development and the utilization of the cultural heritages.