UNESCO has declared Phu Phra Bat Historical Park in Udon Thani Province a World Cultural Heritage Site under the name 'Phu Phra Bat, Witness to the Sima Culture of the Dvaravati Period' and will open for free admission from July 28 to August 12. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared Phu Phrabat Historical Park, Udon Thani Province, a World Heritage Site under the name 'Phu Phrabat, a testimony to the Sima stone tradition of the Dvaravati period' during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, which will be held from 21 to 31 July 2024 in New Delhi, the Republic of India. It is the 8th World Heritage Site and the 5th Cultural World Heritage Site in Thailand. It is also the 2nd World Heritage Site in Udon Thani Province, following Ban Chiang archaeological site, which was registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992. Ms. Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, Minister of Culture, said that Phu Phrabat Historical Park in Udon Thani Province has been annou nced by UNESCO as a new World Cultural Heritage Site, making it the fifth World Cultural Heritage Site in Thailand, following the historical city of Ayutthaya, the historical city of Sukhothai and its entourage, the archaeological site of Ban Chiang in Udon Thani Province, and the ancient city of Si Thep in Phetchabun Province, which were announced last year. Phu Phra Bat Historical Park has been declared a World Heritage Site under its outstanding universal value, including the preservation of the authenticity and originality of the cultural site, the Dvaravati stone slabs, and being an excellent testimony of the continuation of such culture for more than 4 centuries, which was later linked to the traditions of the Aranyawasi temples. Therefore, we invite Thai people nationwide to join in expressing their congratulations and celebrating the occasion of Phu Phra Bat being declared a new World Heritage Site of Thailand. The Ministry of Culture will continue to push for the creation of a new World Heritage Sit e. Ms. Sudawan added that the Ministry of Culture, through the Fine Arts Department, has announced a waiver of entrance fees to Phu Phra Bat Historical Park in Udon Thani Province between 28 July and 12 August 2024 to allow all Thai people and international tourists to join in celebrating the inscription of Phu Phra Bat as a World Heritage Site. Phu Phra Bat has been declared as a continuous cultural heritage site, consisting of 2 sites: Phu Phra Bat Historical Park and the Sima Cultural Site, Wat Phra Phutthabat Bua Ban, located on the west side, approximately 12 kilometers from Ban Phue District, Udon Thani Province. It is the most outstanding representative of the Sima culture in the Dvaravati period (12th-16th Buddhist centuries) in the world, according to the third criteria of outstanding universal value, which is the preservation of the largest group of Dvaravati stone sema markers in the world. These sema markers are complete and still in their original locations, demonstrating the clear evolution of the form and diverse art of the sema markers, which serve as markers to define the boundaries of sacred areas. Criterion 5: The landscape of Phu Phra Bat has been adjusted to be suitable for the use of the area for Buddhist ceremonies and still maintains the importance of the stone sema group. By connecting with the traditions of the Aranyawasi (forest monks) sect, Phu Phra Bat is therefore a prominent witness of the use of nature, representing the Sima culture of the Dvaravati period, which has been passed down and maintained for a long time, linking the traditions and cultures of Aranyawasi to the present. Source: Thai News Agency