Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC, Dr. Sonam Dawa Lonpo visited Leh Old Town and talked to the local community members who raised various issues and requests. His visit was concluded at our office. He was pleased with the efforts of THF/LOTI toward the conservation of historic Leh and praised the high quality of the work to preserve Leh Old Town and Ladakh’s cultural heritage, as well as the improvement of the living conditions of the local community. This was an important occasion for dialogue between C.E.C. of LAHDC and the local community.

THF’s Pimpim and Yutaka published an article in STAWA ‘Leh’s Central Asian Museum: Integrating heritage with modernity’, vol.2 issue 11, November 2015, to commemorate the completion of the museum construction by THF/LOTI.

On 7th October 2015, THF/LOTI held the completion ceremony of the Central Asian Museum Leh complex. In the ceremony, we expressed heartfelt thanks to all the people involved in the project, from the ones who conceived the idea, provided the land, designed the museum, constructed the buildings, managed the progress and sponsored the project.
The representatives of the different communities, scholars, concerned parties and THF's international sponsors attended the ceremony.

‘Standing at a Crossroads: The Struggle to Preserve Leh Old Town’ an article by THF was published in the ORIENTATIONS magazine on September 2015. The article describes the condition and the cultural importance of the Old Town of Leh, currently threaten by development projects and documents THF’s conservation efforts to preserve it.

In 2015, THF/LOTI organised at Lala’s café an art exhibition showing ‘Ladakhi animals and impression of the soul’, the paintings of Ladakhi artist Phuntsog Namgial Barzi. Phuntsog was born in Phyang village in 1965 and completed his studies at the Central Institute of Buddhism with an (M.A) in Buddhist philosophy in 1989. He joined the State Education Department as a teacher in 1991.

In August 2015, THF/LOTI organised a workshop at the Central Asia Museum Leh ‘How to run a museum’ with the support of the University of Hong Kong Museum Society. The aim of this workshop was to give a general guidance on the tasks necessary to run a museum as well as to train local people in how to prepare and curate an exhibition and host school visits to the museum.

THF presented papers in the 17th IALS conference held in Kargil in July 2015. Our conservation practices in Ladakh were presented on this occasion. Yutaka Hirako gave a presentation on ‘Tibet Heritage Fund approach to conservation of Leh Old Town–Zalok-pa house and Akbar house as study case’ and conservator Anca Nicolaescu presented a paper on ‘Champa Lhakhang wall paintings conservation and its related technical details’ in the session of heritage conservation.

Pimpim de Azevedo gave a talk at TU Berlin: Technische Universität Berlin on the ‘Conservation of Leh Old Town and Lhasa– Challenges and lesson learned’ at the occasion of Urban Talks in July, 2015.

Pimpim de Azevedo presented a paper on ‘Lessons from the attempt to conserve architectural heritage in Lhasa old town 1993–2000’ at the conference ‘UNESCO World Heritage and The Role of Civil Society’, organised by World Heritage Watch, in Bonn, Germany in June.
https://world-heritage-watch.org/konferenz-bonn-2015/

In June 2015, THF/LOTI organized a public discussion about "The Future of Leh Old Town". This public discussion provided an occasion for the general public and especially for the house owners, residents, concerned people and experts to find a direction toward the future of the heritage of the Leh old town.

In March 2015, Pimpim de Azevedo attended a heritage workshop in Nepal organized by LUMANTI and the Community Architects Network (CAN).

THF, in cooperation with Ms Mechtild Mertz and research fellows from the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature of Kyoto, Japan, investigated wooden samples of structures from historic buildings and monuments in Ladakh in 2014. This is the third time we cooperate together after previous research in Qinghai, China (2007) and Sikkim (2012).

Micah Sheiner, a vibrational artist and healer gave a singing bowls performance at Lala’s café in 2014. The concert was performed at the rooftop and many people attend the event. In the dusk of the old town, we all shared the beautiful sound and a very peaceful moment.

THF/LOTI organised a sketching workshop with the Thai artists for the children in the Old Town. The children had lots of fun and enjoy themselves sketching in the alleys of the town.

Professor Maew Pean and a group of Thai artists from the Faculty of architecture, Silpakorn University in Bangkok cooperated with Tibet Heritage Fund in 2014 to study the historic fabric of the Leh Old Town. As the outcome, the artwork of six Thailand artists ‘Leh’s Heritage Life’ was exhibited in Lala’s gallery.

In May 2014, THF in cooperation with Prince Claus Fund of the Netherlands organised an international symposium ‘The importance of conserving Leh Old Town’, at the Central Asia Museum Leh, Ladakh. This symposium was a platform for open discussion among the residents, NGOs, intellectuals and government about the future of Leh Old Town.

SOTOKOTO, a social and eco Japanese magazine, in March 2014 published an interview with THF’s Yutaka Hirako about THF work in Himalayas. Stories and track of THF were narrated in the article, introducing our work to Japanese audience. This interview is also available on-line, http://www.sotokoto.net/jp/interview/index.php?id=103

A new pamphlet in Japanese was printed in March 2014, introducing THF’s mission statement, activities and thoughts on the conservation work. This pamphlet is illustrated with beautiful photos and architectural drawings from our worksites. We are looking forward to reaching a wider Japanese audience for supporting THF’s work.
Thank you Rei takahashi.

In 2013 the ‘UNESCO Asia Conserved Vol.2’ publication includes THF’s awards wining projects. The Leh old town conservation project, Ladakh (2006) and Sangiin Dalai Monastery, Mongolia (2009).

Pimpim de Azevedo gave two lectures in London in December 2013, one at UCL, Institute of Archaeology on the ‘Restoration of the Sangiin Dalai Monastery in Mongolia’, and at Courtauld Institute of Art, on ‘Tibetan architecture and Religious Structures’ to the students of Buddhist Art and conservation.

The Czech artist Roman Kames exhibited his paintings at Lala’s café gallery from August to September 2013. His exhibition ‘Ladaki paintings’ is based on his passionate impressions of Ladakh.

Italian magazine ABITARE 住 Summer 2013 features the Beijing’s Hutong, included an article ‘Beijing Hutong Conservation Study’ written by Yutaka Hirako about THF conservation work in Beijing Hutongs.

In 2013 the Berlin Technische Universität, Habitat-unit published André’s Alexander PhD dissertation ‘The Traditional Lhasa House’ in the LIT VERLAG, this publication was assisted by THF's Sylvester Kaben.

The 13th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS), was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in July 2013.
THF’s Pimpim presented a paper on André Alexander work and legacy on the panel ‘A tribute to André Alexander; Tibetan Architecture, architecture preservation and Tibetan culture heritage’.

Tibet Heritage Fund, in a joint cooperation with ICOM-CC, Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation, In Situ Preservation, and e-conservation magazine organized a conference ‘Conservation of mural paintings and sculpture in the Himalayan region’ at the Central Asia Museum Leh in August 2013. This conference was dedicated to the inspiring work of André Alexander.

In 2013 THF/LOTI mobilized the community and organised a ‘street clean up drive’ in the old town. The local municipality visited the old town and discussed the waste management and how to clean the streets and alleys with the community members.

In 2013 THF/LOTI organised a story telling event for the Leh Old Town children at Lala’s café gallery. ‘The House of Tashi Tsering’ by Pimpim de Azevedo was narrated by Stanzin Dolkar and afterwards the children made drawings of they dream house and their paintings were exhibited in the café.

In 2013 THF/LOTI organised a special “Heritage Walk” for Ladakh’s school kids. Several schools attended the tour and visited the restored houses, temples and streets in the old town.

THF's Pimpim attend the Community Architects Network (CAN) 2nd regional meeting and workshop in May 2013 in the Philippines. 45 international participants from 14 countries took part, along with a big team of local community architects, students, community leaders and support NGOs. This meeting was a platform among the participants to exchange the ideas and share the experiences from their field work.

THF’s Pimpim de Azevedo attended the ACHR/ACCA Regional meeting organised in Yangon, Myanmar in May 2013. Participants reported on ACHR/ACCA activities. A good session followed in which all the meeting participants reflected on the community process they had witnessed in Myanmar.

In December 2012, Pimpim de Azevedo and Yutaka Hirako gave presentations on THF’s approach to living historic cities and community-based approaches to conservation - Serkhang monastery study case at the EAAC 2012 International Conference on East Asian Architectural Culture, ‘Convergence in Divergence: Contemporary Challenges in east Asian Architectural Studies’, organised by the School of Architecture, Centre for Architectural Heritage Research

In November 2012, THF’s Pimpim de Azevedo completed her master research in Heritage Sciences at the Bartlett faculty, University College London, with the thesis ‘Understanding Arga as a building material in Tibetan architecture’.

A THF team attended the Community Architects Network Workshop in December 2012 organised by CAN and hosted by Hunnashala Foundation and its network. Approximately 40 local and international participants attended the meeting, THF’s team presented the work in Ladakh, and artisans Tsering Dorje and Tsering Bulu talked about their work and experience in Leh with THF/LOTI.

In September 2012, the National Museum Institute, in collaboration with Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) organised an international seminar ‘Museums and changing of cultural landscaping’ in Ladakh. THF’s Programme Director, Yutaka Hirako, presented ‘Central Asian Museum and Continuing of the Cultural Landscape’, and LOTI’s, Sonam Gyatso Tukchapa, presented ‘Conserving Historic Old Town - A Challenge and an Opportunity’.

An International Seminar cum Workshop on ‘Preservation of Art and Cultural Heritage of Ladakh’ was held in Ladakh in 2012, organised by the National Museum Institute. THF’s Yutaka Hirako presented the ‘Leh Old Town Initiative and conservation work in Ladakh’.

On January 21st, 2012, André Alexander suddenly passed away in Berlin, his hometown. It was a big shock for all of his friends and family. The 17th of January was his 47th birthday, and he was celebrating it that Saturday with a party at a friend’s home.

See obituary by Robert Barnett and Per K. Sorensen at Orientations Magazine, Volume 43, Number 2, March 2012
https://www.orientations.com.hk/articles/robert-barnett-and-per-k-sorensen-obituary-andre-alexander-1965-2012-mar-2012-issue/

And on The Telegraph, 24 February 2012
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/9104921/Andre-Alexander.html

THF's André Alexander will give a talk on Songtsan Gampo's temple-building activity at Leipzig University (in German) on 11.01.2012.

Details here
远离尘嚣 Far away from the madding crowd
-在为保护藏区建筑文化遗产的那些日子里Building heritage in Ladakh&Tibet
This exhibition displays the work of two architects, Min and Yun, as volunteers for Tibetan Heritage Fund. Their inspiration is drawn from Tibet in China and Ladakh,in North India, where the artists worked on projects to preserve indigenous architectures and artifacts - this exhibition looks to reflect on their experience and memories of these projects, as well as to express thanks to those they met who value and seek to preserve local customs and traditions in their everyday work and life.
Exhibition by：LiangMin梁敏 , NieYun聂云 with kinh.architects 策展
Location (download flyer) 北京市东城区鼓楼东大街小经厂胡同15号at kinh.architects office
Opening/ 开幕时间：2011年11月19日14:00

THF's restoration of Nangra Serkhang in Amdo won a 2011 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award, the third time THF wins such an award.

On August 23 and 24, the completed Central Asian Museum Leh will be opened to the public for a special preview, with an exhibition of artefacts, photographs and works of art telling the story of the ancient caravan routes linking Ladakh with the Silk Road. On 23 there is also a workshop on conservation.