Trainees gather for a group photo at the opening ceremony.

Sponsored by the International Training Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (CRIHAP), the workshop on the Revitalization of Indigenous Architecture and Sustainable Building Skills in the Pacific was held in Apia, the capital city of Samoa Islands, from Nov 3 to 7, 2014. 

The five-day workshop attracted over 50 relative officials and experts from neighboring island countries, such as Fiji, Tonga, Niue, the Cook Islands and New Zealand. Representatives from China's embassy to Samoa and the Samoan Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture, as well as UNESCO Office for the Pacific States attended the opening ceremony and made keynote speeches.

The fale, a traditional Samoan building characterized by an oval or circular shape with wooden posts holding up a domed roof, constituted the major part of this training program. Trainees could gain an all-dimensional experience of its building procedures through classroom instruction and field work. A panel of renowned experts, including Laufale Togipau (master builder of the Samoan fale), Maulolo Tavita, director of the Samoa Culture Centre and Anne Milbank, project manager of the UN Development Program was responsible for the teaching tasks. They guided students on the history, status quo, future and functions of fale, as well as pragmatic skills in fale building. Trainees had an in-depth discussion on the theme of “Preservation and Challenges of Traditional Architecture” after seeing real examples.