Online Conference 'Lessons Learnt from El Galeón de Manila'

Revisiting the legacy of commercial and cultural exchanges through El Galeón de Manila Route between East Asia, Latin America, and Europe

On 8 October 2021, a series of conferences will be organized marking the occasion of ‘Día del Galeón’ – Day of the Galleon, in collaboration with UNESCO offices in Mexico, Beijing, and Bangkok, and with the coordination of Mr. José María Chiquillo Barber, Focal Point of Spain, and Chair of the International Network of Focal Points for the Silk Roads Programme. 

These online events will bring together participants from all over the world with the aim of revisiting the legacy of the Manila Galeón route, commercial exchanges across the Pacific Ocean which lasted over 250 years (1565 – 1815 CE) and connected Asia with America, Europe, and Africa. Merchandise from various parts of Asia such as porcelain, vases, spices, textiles, ivory, and medicines were brought to Manila where they were then transported on large galleons to Acapulco in Mexico and then onward overland to Veracruz on Mexico’s Atlantic coast for shipment to Europe and Africa. This trade network not only carried wares but also transmitted the cultures of the peoples the galleons came into contact with.

The first of these events, held online at 16:00 (GMT +1) from the Museum and College of High Silk Art of Valencia (Museo y El Colegio del Arte Mayor de la Seda) will bring together government representatives, experts, as well as representatives from UNESCO, to discuss the importance of the legacy of the historic exchanges occurring via the Manila Galeón route.

A parallel event will be held at 14:00 (GMT -5) in the Historical Museum of Fort San Diego (Museo Histórico de Acapulco Fuerte de San Diego) in Acapulco, Mexico. This part of the conference will gather together experts and stakeholders from Mexico and across Latin America to discuss and define activities to be undertaken to promote the legacy of these exchanges from the perspective of Latin America with the aim of reinforcing trust and facilitating dialogue and collaboration between people of various regions.