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 Since 1994 he was primarily been engaged in systematic research of the Great Wall in the Beijing region and in October 2003 published ¡°Images of Asia: The Great Wall¡± with Oxford University Press (OUP). In 1998 William Lindesay successfully revealed in China¡¯s press and media that the quality of the Great Wall¡¯s natural surroundings were being tarnished. He organized two major ¡°Great Wall Clean Ups¡± that year and the value of his efforts were recognized with the Central Government of the People¡¯s Republic of China awarding him the Friendship Medal on October 1st (China¡®s National Day). |
In 2001 Lindesay founded
¡°International Friends of the Great Wall¡± as a society in Hong Kong in order
to ¡°assist China¡¯s cultural-relics protection authorities in the task of
preserving the authenticity of the Great Wall.¡± Lindesay and the Beijing
Administrative Bureau for Cultural Relics made a successful nomination to
the US-based World Monuments Fund to have ¡°The Cultural Landscape of the
Great Wall, Beijing¡± included on the Fund¡¯s ¡°2002 List of the World¡¯s Most
100 Endangered Sites,¡± and the site was re-listed for 2004.
In July 2002, as founder and on behalf of International Friends of the Great
Wall, Lindesay signed ¡°A Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Conservation
of Beijing¡¯s Great Wall for the Perpetuation of China¡¯s Cultural and Natural
Heritage¡± with the Beijing Bureau for Cultural Relics. International Friends
of the Great Wall is sponsored by Shell Companies in China, BHP Billiton
(Australia), the Young Presidents¡¯ Organization (International) and Black
Yak (Korea). International Friends of the Great Wall is a 2003 recipient of
the ¡°Robert Wilson Challenge to Conserve Our Heritage¡± awarded via the World
Monuments Fund.
William Lindesay is sought by the international and Chinese press and media
for his authoritative voice on Great Wall conservation issues. He was
described by World Monuments Fund as ¡°the world¡¯s leading advocate for the
Great Wall¡¯s protection¡±. Reports and editorials on his work have appeared
in a Newsweek cover story, the International Herald Tribune, on BBC World
Service Television, and in Beijing Youth Daily and Beijing Times among
others. In 2003 reports about his work and his photograph have appeared in
both the US-edition National Geographic Magazine while a profile appeared in
a Great Wall special issue of Chinese National Geography.
Personally, William Lindesay has written high-profile contributions for
National Geographic Traveler (50 Places of a Lifetime), Chinese National
Geography (translated into Chinese), the Asia Wall Street Journal, Conde
Nast Traveler, ICON and Archaeology. His China photographs have been used in
The Times (of London), as well as the UKs Daily Telegraph and Independent.
William Lindesay has lectured to diverse audiences including the Explorers
Club in New York, Peking University Students¡¯ Union in Beijing, Green Life
Society at Peking University; Tsinghua University Postgraduate Association;
the German Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, the Royal Geographical Society,
Asia Society, Royal Asiatic Society and Foreign Correspondents¡¯ Club in Hong
Kong, the American Institute of Archaeology 2004 AGM China Workshop in San
Francisco, Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Carleton College.
In recent years William has been sought as a resource by corporations,
organizations and VIPs visiting Beijing to see Great Wall. ¡°Walking on the
Wall with William Lindesay¡± was listed as one of the 50 travel experiences
of a lifetime in 2005 by the UK edition of Conde Nast Traveller. Lindesay
has talked to delegates from World Presidents¡¯ Organization, Young
Presidents¡¯ Organization, World CEO Organization, the 2005 Global Fortune
Forum. His VIP guests have included Lady Pamela Youde, Governor Jesse
Ventura of Minnesota, fashion designer Kenzo of Japan and Richard Parsons,
chairman and CEO of Time Warner Inc.
William Lindesay was awarded the rank of O.B.E. (Officer, Order of the
British Empire) for his international conservation of the Great Wall of
China in the 2006 Honours List issued by H. M. the Queen Elizabeth II.
In early 2007 William Lindesay curated the exhibition ¡®The Great Wall
Revisited¡¯ at the Capital Museum, Beijing and published a book of the same
title with China Intercontinental Press.
(end of document, revised 02/2007)
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