Memory of the World Register in Asia and the Pacific

UNESCO initiative to preserve documentary items From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

UNESCO's Memory of the World International Register lists documentary heritage – texts, audio-visual materials, library and archive holdings[1] – that have been judged to be of global importance. The register brings that heritage to the attention of experts and the wider public, promoting the preservation, digitization, and dissemination of those materials.[2] The first inscriptions were added to the register in 1997.[3][4] As of 2025, 570 pieces of documentary heritage had been included in the register.[5] Of these, 180 are nominated or co-nominated by countries in the Asia and the Pacific region.[6]

The Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) is a regional committee of UNESCO's programme, maintaining a separate register.[7][8] There are also national registers, including for the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.

Items listed below are part of the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register. National and regional registers are listed separately.

List by country/territory

  • Australia's The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) is the first full-length narrative feature film produced anywhere in the world.
    Australia's The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) is the first full-length narrative feature film produced anywhere in the world.[9]
  • Cambodia’s Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum contains photographs of over 5,000 prisoners, as well as "confessions", many extracted under torture, and other biographical records.
    Cambodia’s Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum contains photographs of over 5,000 prisoners, as well as "confessions", many extracted under torture, and other biographical records.[10]
  • The Baysunghur Shahnameh Iran is a manuscript of the "Book of Kings", one of the classics of the Persian-speaking world, on a par with the Iliad and The Aeneid of the Greco-Roman cultural communities.
    The Baysunghur Shahnameh Iran is a manuscript of the "Book of Kings", one of the classics of the Persian-speaking world, on a par with the Iliad and The Aeneid of the Greco-Roman cultural communities.[11]
  • The Korean version of the Buddhist scriptures, Tripitaka Koreana, is one of the most important and is the most complete corpus of Buddhist doctrinal texts in the world.
    The Korean version of the Buddhist scriptures, Tripitaka Koreana, is one of the most important and is the most complete corpus of Buddhist doctrinal texts in the world.[12]
  • The Holy Koran Mushaf of Othman manuscript, held by the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, is the earliest existent written version of the Koran.
    The Holy Koran Mushaf of Othman manuscript, held by the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, is the earliest existent written version of the Koran.[13]
More information Documentary heritage[A], Country/Territory ...
Documentary heritage[A] Country/Territory Custodian(s), Location(s) Year
inscribed		 Ref.
The Endeavour Journal of James Cook Australia National Library of Australia, Canberra

35°17′48″S 149°07′47″E

 2001 [14]
The Mabo Case Manuscripts Australia National Library of Australia, Canberra

35°17′48″S 149°07′47″E

 2001 [15]
The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) Australia National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra

35°17′00″S 149°07′17″E

 2007 [9]
The Convict Records of Australia Australia 2007 [16]
Manifesto of the Queensland Labour Party, 1892 Australia State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

27°28′16″S 153°01′05″E

 2009 [17][18][19]
Giant Glass Plate Negatives of Sydney Harbour Australia State Library of New South Wales, Sydney

33°51′58″S 151°12′48″E

 2021 [20]
Archives of the expedition of d’Entrecasteaux (1791-1794) Australia, France 2025 [21]
7 March Speech of Bangabandhu Bangladesh Liberation War Museum, Dhaka

23°46′33″N 90°22′03″E

 2017 [22][23]
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Archives Cambodia Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Phnom Penh

11°32′58″N 104°54′55″E

 2009 [10]
Traditional Music Sound Archives China Chinese Academy of Arts, Beijing

39°57′02″N 116°26′51″E

 1997 [24]
Records of the Qing's Grand Secretariat – 'Infiltration of Western Culture in China' China Palace Museum, Beijing

39°54′59″N 116°23′50″E

 1999 [25]
Ancient Naxi Dongba Literature Manuscripts China Lijiang Prefecture Dongba Research Institute, Dayan

26°52′53″N 100°12′35″E

 2003 [26]
Golden Lists of the Qing Dynasty Imperial Examination China State Archives, Beijing

39°54′54″N 116°23′35″E

 2005 [27]
Qing Dynasty Yangshi Lei Archives China 2007 [28]
Ben Cao Gang Mu: Compendium of Materia Medica China Library of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

39°54′39″N 116°25′03″E

 2011 [29]
Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) China National Library of China, Beijing

39°56′35″N 116°19′23″E

 2011 [30]
Official Records of Tibet from the Yuan Dynasty China, 1304–1367 China Tibet Autonomous Region Archives, Lhasa

29°39′23″N 91°04′57″E

 2013 [31]
Qiaopi and Yinxin Correspondence and Remittance Documents from Overseas Chinese China 2013 [32]
Documents of Nanjing Massacre China 2015 [33][8]
The Archives of Suzhou Silk from Modern and Contemporary Times China Suzhou Industrial and Commercial Archives Administration

31°19′35″N 120°37′35″E

 2017 [34]
Chinese Oracle-Bone Inscriptions China 2017 [35]
Official Records of Macao During the Qing Dynasty (1693–1886) China,
Portugal		 Torre do Tombo National Archive, Alvalade, Lisbon

38°45′17″N 9°09′23″W

 2017 [36]
Archives and Manuscripts of Macau Kong Tac Lam Temple (1645–1980) China Association of Piety and Longevity Kong Tac Lam, Macau

22°11′30″N 113°32′10″E

 2023 [37]
The four treatises of Tibetan Medicine China Mentseekhang, Traditional Tibetan Hospital (Tibetan Medical & Astro Institute), Lhasa

29°39′48″N 91°07′27″E

 2023 [38]
The Steles of Shaolin Temple (566-1990) China Shaolin Monastery 2025 [39]
The Suizhou Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng China Hubei Provincial Museum 2025 [40]
Records of the Indian Indentured Labourers Fiji,
Guyana,
Suriname,
Trinidad and Tobago		 2011 [41]
The I.A.S. Tamil Medical Manuscript Collection India Institute of Asian Studies, Chennai

12°51′48″N 80°13′47″E

 1997 [42]
Archives of the Dutch East India Company India,
Indonesia,
Netherlands,
South Africa,
Sri Lanka		 2003 [43]
Shaiva Manuscript in Pondicherry India French Institute of Pondicherry, Pondicherry

11°56′13″N 79°50′08″E

 2005 [44]
Rigveda India Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune

18°31′09″N 73°49′48″E

 2007 [45]
Tarikh-e-Khandan-e-Timuriyah India Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library, Patna 25°37′18″N 85°08′08″E 2011 [46]
Laghukālachakratantrarājatīka Vimalaprabhā India The Asiatic Society, Kolkata

22°33′19″N 88°21′02″E

 2011 [47]
Shāntinātha Charitra India Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum, Ahmedabad

23°01′59″N 72°32′59″E

 2013 [48]
Gilgit Manuscript India National Archives of India, New Delhi

28°36′56″N 77°13′02″E

 2017 [49]
Maitreyayvarakarana India The Asiatic Society, Kolkata

22°33′19″N 88°21′02″E

 2017 [50]
Manuscript Collection of Bhagavadgītā: Ancient Saṁgraha-grantha of Indian thought with World-wide Readership and Influence India Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune 2025 [51]
Manuscript of the Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharatamuni: A Seminal text of Indian Performing Art India Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune 2025 [52]
La Galigo Indonesia,
Netherlands		 2011 [53]
Nagarakretagama: Description of the Country (1365 AD) Indonesia National Library of Indonesia, Jakarta

6°10′53″S 106°49′37″E

 2013 [54]
Babad Diponegoro Indonesia,
Netherlands		 2013 [55]
Asian-African Conference Archives Indonesia National Archives of Indonesia, South Jakarta

6°16′43″S 106°49′08″E

 2015 [56]
Borobudur Conservation Archives Indonesia National Archives of Indonesia, South Jakarta

6°16′43″S 106°49′08″E

 2017 [57]
The Indian Ocean Tsunami Archives Indonesia,
Sri Lanka		 2017 [58]
Panji Tales Manuscripts Indonesia,
Cambodia,
Netherlands,
Malaysia,
United Kingdom		 2017 [59]
Archives of Javanese Dance: Mangkunegaran Dance Arts, 1861-1944 Indonesia 2025 [60]
Kartini Letters and Archive: the struggle for gender equality Indonesia,
Netherlands		 2025 [61]
The Sang Hyang Siksa Kandang Karesian Manuscript Indonesia National Library of Indonesia, Jakarta 6°10′53″S 106°49′37″E 2025 [62]
"Bayasanghori Shâhnâmeh" (Prince Bayasanghor's Book of the Kings) Iran Golestan Palace, Tehran

35°40′47″N 51°25′14″E

 2007 [11]
The Deed For Endowment: Rab’ I-Rashidi (Rab I-Rashidi Endowment) 13th Century manuscript Iran Tabriz Central Library, Tabriz

38°03′51″N 46°15′23″E

 2007 [63]
Administrative Documents of Astan-e Quds Razavi in the Safavid Era Iran Astan-e Quds Razavi Library, Mashhad

36°17′22″N 59°36′58″E

 2009 [64]
Al-Tafhim li Awa'il Sana'at al-Tanjim: The Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology Iran Library, Museum and Documentation Centre of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Tehran

35°48′30″N 51°27′31″E

 2011 [65]
Collection of Nezami’s Panj Ganj Iran 2011 [66]
A Collection of selected maps of Iran in the Qajar Era (1193 – 1344 Lunar Calendar / 1779–1926 Gregorian Calendar) Iran Library of Political and International Studies of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

35°48′30″N 51°27′31″E

 2013 [67]
Dhakhīra-yi Khārazmshāhī Iran Library of the Sepahsalar Mosque, Tehran

35°41′22″N 51°26′00″E

 2013 [68]
Al-Masaalik Wa Al-Mamaalik: The Book of Itineraries and Kingdoms Germany,
Iran		 2015 [69]
Kulliyyāt-i Saʽdi: Kulliyat of Saadi Iran National Library and Archives of Iran, Tehran

35°45′07″N 51°26′03″E

 2015 [70]
Jāme’ al-Tavarikh: Compendium of Chronicles Iran Golestan Palace, Tehran

50°56′43″N 10°42′20″E

 2017 [71]
Mawlana’s Kulliyat (The Complete Works of Mawlana) Iran,
Tajikistan,
Germany,
Bulgaria,
Uzbekistan,
Turkey		 2023 [72]
Sakubei Yamamoto Collection Japan 2011 [73]
Materials Related to the Keicho-era Mission to Europe Japan and Spain Japan,
Spain		 Sendai City Museum, Sendai

38°15′22″N 140°51′24″E

 2013 [74]
Midokanpakuki: the original handwritten diary of Fujiwara no Michinaga Japan Yōmei Bunko, Kyoto

35°01′55″N 135°42′36″E

 2013 [75]
Archives of Tōji temple contained in one-hundred boxes Japan Kyoto Prefectural Library, Kyoto

35°00′47″N 135°46′56″E

 2015 [76]
Return to Maizuru Port—Documents Related to the Internment and Repatriation Experiences of Japanese (1945–1956) Japan Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum [jp], Kyoto

35°30′34″N 135°23′48″E

 2015 [77]
Three Cherished Stelae of Ancient Kozuke Japan Takasaki, Gunma

36°19′19″N 139°00′12″E

 2017 [78]
Three Editions of Buddhist Sacred Canons stored at Zojoji, Japan Japan Zōjō-ji Temple, Minato 2025 [79]
Collection of manuscripts of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Kazakhstan National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty

43°14′29″N 76°56′35″E

 2003 [80]
Audiovisual documents of the International antinuclear movement "Nevada-Semipalatinsk" Kazakhstan Central State Archives of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty

43°14′34″N 76°56′44″E

 2005 [81]
Aral Sea Archival Fonds Kazakhstan Central State Archives of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty

43°14′34″N 76°56′44″E

 2011 [82]
Manuscript “Chronicle of Khans” Kazakhstan Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan [kk], Almaty 2025 [83]
Correspondence of the late Sultan of Kedah (1882–1943) Malaysia National Archives of Malaysia, Alor Setar

6°09′48″N 100°22′12″E

 2001 [84]
Hikayat Hang Tuah: The story of Hang Tuah Malaysia National Library of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

3°10′14″N 101°42′41″E

 2001 [85]
Sejarah Melayu (the Malay Annals) Malaysia Institute of Language and Literature, Kuala Lumpur

3°08′03″N 101°42′13″E

 2001 [86]
Batu Bersurat, Terengganu (Inscribed Stone of Terengganu) Malaysia Terengganu State Museum [ms], Kuala Terengganu

5°19′07″N 103°06′08″E

 2009 [87]
The Works of Hamzah Fansuri Malaysia, Indonesia 2025 [88]
Lu."Altan Tobchi" : Golden History written in 1651 Mongolia National Library of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar

47°54′53″N 106°54′59″E

 2011 [89]
Mongolian Tanjur & Stone Stele Monument for Mongolian Tanjur Mongolia National Library of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar

47°54′53″N 106°54′59″E

 2011,
updated 2017		 [90][91]
Kanjur written with 9 precious stones Mongolia National Library of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar

47°54′53″N 106°54′59″E

 2013 [92]
Deger-e-eče toɣtoɣsan dürsü-yin tusbür-yig bürüdkegsen bičig (A Complete Record of the Body by Imperial Order) Mongolia Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 2025 [93]
Inscription of Khüis Tolgoi 1 Mongolia The National Council for Language Policies Subordinate to the President of Mongolia, Ulaanbataar 2025 [94]
Kuthodaw Inscription Shrines Myanmar Kuthodaw Pagoda, Mandalay

22°00′17″N 96°06′47″E

 2013 [95]
Myazedi Quadrilingual Stone Inscription Myanmar Department of Archaeology and National Museum, Naypyidaw

19°47′20″N 96°08′29″E

 2015 [96]
The Golden Letter of the Burmese King Alaungphaya to King George II of Great Britain Myanmar,
Germany,
United Kingdom

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Library – State Library of Lower Saxony [de] 52°21′55″N 9°43′51″E

 2015 [97]
King Bayinnaung Bell Inscription Myanmar Shwezigon Pagoda, Bagan

21°11′43″N 94°53′38″E

 2017 [98]
Nishvāsattatvasamhitā Manuscript Nepal National Archives of Nepal, Kathmandu

27°41′43″N 85°19′17″E

 2013 [99]
Sushrutasamhitā (Sahottārtantra) Manuscript Nepal Kaiser library, Kathmandu

27°42′50″N 85°18′55″E

 2013 [100]
Treaty of Waitangi New Zealand Archives New Zealand, Wellington

41°16′37″S 174°46′48″E

 1997 [101]
1893 Women's Suffrage Petition New Zealand Archives New Zealand, Wellington

41°16′37″S 174°46′48″E

 1997 [102]
Sir Edmund Hillary Archive New Zealand Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland

36°51′37″S 174°46′40″E

 2013 [103]
Katherine Mansfield literary and personal papers and belongings New Zealand Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington

41°16′36″S 174°46′42″E

 2025 [104]
Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial arts North Korea Grand People's Study House, Pyongyang; Various locations in South Korea

39°01′13″N 125°44′58″E

 2017 [105]
Jinnah Papers (Quaid-i-Azam) Pakistan National Archives of Pakistan, Islamabad

33°44′24″N 73°05′41″E

 1999 [106]
Philippine Paleographs (Hanunoo, Buid, Tagbanua and Pala'wan) Philippines National Museum of the Philippines, Manila

14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E

 1999 [107]
Radio Broadcast of the Philippine People Power Revolution Philippines 2003 [108]
José Maceda Collection Philippines University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology, Quezon City

14°39′26″N 121°03′56″E

 2007 [109]
Presidential Papers of Manuel L. Quezon Philippines University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology, Quezon City

14°39′26″N 121°03′56″E

 2011 [110]
The Khludov Psalter Russia State Historical Museum, Moscow 2025 [111]
Hunminjeongum Manuscript: Correct Sounds for the Instruction of the People South Korea Gansong Art Museum, Seoul

37°35′37″N 126°59′49″E

 1997 [112]
The Annals of the Choson Dynasty South Korea 1997 [113]
Seungjeongwon ilgi, the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat South Korea Kyujanggak Library and Seoul National University, Seoul

37°34′44″N 126°59′22″E

 2001 [114]
Baegun hwasang chorok buljo jikji simche yojeol (vol. II), the second volume of "Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings" South Korea Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris

48°50′01″N 2°22′33″E

 2001 [115]
Printing woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana and miscellaneous Buddhist scriptures South Korea Haeinsa Monastery, Gyeongsangnam-do

35°48′04″N 128°05′53″E

 2007 [116]
Uigwe: The Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty South Korea Seoul National University, Seoul

37°27′33″N 126°57′07″E

 2007 [117]
Dongui Bogam: Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine South Korea National Library of Korea, Seoul

37°29′52″N 127°00′13″E

 2009 [118]
Human Rights Documentary Heritage 1980 Archives for the May 18th Democratic Uprising against Military Regime, in Gwangju, Republic of Korea South Korea 2011 [119]
Ilseongnok: Records of Daily Reflections South Korea Seoul National University, Seoul

37°27′33″N 126°57′07″E

 2011 [120]
Nanjung ilgi: War Diary of Admiral Yi Sun-sin South Korea Hyeonchungsa Shrine, Asan

36°48′23″N 127°01′55″E

 2013 [121]
Archives of Saemaul Undong (New Community Movement) South Korea 2013 [122]
Confucian Printing Woodblocks South Korea The Advanced Center for Korean Studies, Andong

36°42′08″N 128°48′39″E

 2015 [123]
The Archives of the KBS Special Live Broadcast "Finding Dispersed Families" South Korea 2015 [124]
Royal Seal and Investiture Book Collection of the Joseon Dynasty South Korea National Palace Museum of Korea, Seoul

37°34′36″N 126°58′30″E

 2017 [125]
Archives of the National Debt Redemption Movement South Korea National Debt Redemption Movement Memorial Park

35°52′10″N 128°36′22″E

 2017 [126]
Documents on Joseon Tongsinsa/Chosen Tsushinshi: The History of Peace Building and Cultural Exchanges between Korea and Japan from the 17th to 19th Century South Korea,
Japan		 2017 [127]
Collection of documents from Mount Mugh South Korea, Uzbekistan 2025 [128]
Korea Reforestation Archives: A reforestation model achieved through public-private governance South Korea Korea Society of Forest Policy, Seoul 2025 [129]
Revealing Truth: Jeju 4·3 Archives South Korea
  • Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Government, Jeju-si
  • Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation, Jeju-si
  • National Archives of Korea, Daejeon
  • Jeju 4·3 Research Institute, Jeju-si
  • Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum, Jeju-si
  • Hagwi-ri Village Development Council, Jeju-si
 2025 [130]
Mahavamsa (6th century BCE to 1815 CE) Sri Lanka Palm Leaf Manuscripts Collection, University of Peradeniya

7°15′15″N 80°35′48″E

 2023 [131]
Documents Connected with the Pānadurā Vādaya (The Great Debate of Panadura) in 1873 Sri Lanka National Library and Documentation Services Board 2025 [132]
Trilingual Inscription (TribhashaSellipiya) Sri Lanka, China Colombo National Museum, Colombo 2025 [133]
The manuscript of Ubayd Zakoni's Kulliyat and Hafez Sherozi's Gazalliyt (14th century) Tajikistan Institute of the Written Heritage of the Academy of Sciences, Dushanbe

38°34′15″N 68°47′31″E

 2003 [134]
The King Ram Khamhaeng Inscription Thailand Bangkok National Museum, Bangkok

13°45′30″N 100°29′30″E

 2003 [135]
Archival Documents of King Chulalongkorn's Transformation of Siam (1868–1910) Thailand 2009 [136]
Epigraphic Archives of Wat Pho Thailand Wat Pho, Bangkok

13°44′48″N 100°29′36″E

 2011 [137]
"The Minute Books of the Council of the Siam Society", 100 years of recording international cooperation in research and the dissemination of knowledge in the arts and sciences Thailand National Archives of Thailand, Bangkok

13°46′23″N 100°30′16″E

 2013 [138]
The Royal Photographic Glass Plate Negatives and Original Prints Collection Thailand National Archives of Thailand, Bangkok

13°46′23″N 100°30′16″E

 2017 [139]
National Collection of Palm-Leaf Manuscripts of Phra That Phanom Chronicle Thailand National Library of Thailand, Bangkok

13°46′20″N 100°30′18″E

 2023 [140]
The Birth of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) (Archives about the Formation ASEAN, 1967 – 1976) Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia 2025 [141]
The King of the White Elephant and the archival documents Thailand 2025 [142]
The Manuscript of Nanthopananthasut Kamlaung (22 July, 1736) Thailand National Library of Thailand, Bangkok 2025 [143]
On the Birth of a Nation: Turning points (Max Stahl collection of audiovisual documents) Timor Leste Archives & Museum of East Timorese Resistance

8°33′20″S 125°34′39″E

 2013 [144]
Holy Koran Mushaf of Othman Uzbekistan The Muslim Board of Uzbekistan [ru], Tashkent

41°19′32″N 69°14′29″E

 1997 [13]
The Collection of the Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, Tashkent

41°18′24″N 69°17′12″E

 1997 [145]
Archives of the Chancellery of Khiva Khans Uzbekistan Central State Archive of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent

41°17′15″N 69°13′44″E

 2017 [146]
Camiu't Tevarih/Jāmiʿ al-Tawārīkh Uzbekistan, Turkey 2025 [147]
Arthur Bernard Deacon (1903–27) collection MS 90–98 Vanuatu,
United Kingdom		 Royal Anthropological Institute, London

51°31′26″N 0°08′24″W

 2013 [148]
Woodblocks of the Nguyễn Dynasty Vietnam State Records and Archives Department of Vietnam [vi], Hanoi

21°01′57″N 105°48′33″E

 2009 [149]
Stone stele records of imperial examinations of the Lê and Mạc dynasties Vietnam Temple of Literature

21°01′46″N 105°50′10″E

 2010 [150]
Imperial Archives of Nguyen Dynasty (1802–1945) Vietnam National Archives Centre No.1, Hanoi

21°01′01″N 105°47′53″E

 2017 [151]
Composer Hoàng Vân Collection Vietnam Mrs LÊ Y Linh, Dr. in Musicology, representing the composer’s family 2025 [152]
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See also

Notes

^ Names and spellings provided are based on the official list released by the Memory of the World Programme.

References

External links

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