• KIEAE Journal
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.27-35
• /
• 2010

It has been criticized that the Venice Charter of 1964 characterizes so much of Western value of architecture and its conservation, despite its significant contribution towards an international conservation approach. Since the 1970s some countries have drawn up their own conservation guidelines to supplement the limitations of the Venice Charter. When we review critically those documents, we find a change in the Western dogma of heritage. Although the Burra Charter of 1979(last version in 1999) and the China Principles of 2002 accept the general philosophy and concepts of the Venice Charter but make responses to special local needs. The Burra Charter has redressed a current Western bias which has permeated global conservation practices, responding to the Australian context. The China Principles also meet special national needs but in accordance with recent international practices. For this reason, the Burra Charter and the China Principles are regarded as well established in national conservation practices but also as representing each country's contribution to contemporary international conservation practices.