The University of Guadalajara’s Chapala campus formed a multidisciplinary committee on June 25, 2025, to protect and promote the region’s tangible and intangible heritage in line with UNESCO and state law.
On June 25, 2025, the Chapala University Center (CUChapala) of the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) formally installed the Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of the Chapala Riverbank. The new body aims to protect, preserve, and share the region’s rich tangible and intangible heritage in accordance with UNESCO guidelines, the Cultural Heritage Law of Jalisco, and the Organic University Law.
Presided over by CUChapala rector Patricia Rosas Chávez, the committee brings together leading voices from academia, culture, and government. By uniting across disciplines, it seeks to create public policies and strategies that guarantee long-term conservation of the riverside’s cultural gems.
The inaugural meeting took place at Hotel Villa Montecarlo, where attendees discussed the committee’s scope and priorities. As a Distinguished Honorary Member, Jalisco’s Secretary of Culture Gerardo Ascencio Rubio pledged full backing, while Chapala mayor Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel voiced strong municipal support. This local-regional alliance underscores a shared vision: to make the Chapala riverbank a model of heritage stewardship.
Mission and vision
The committee will focus on identifying, cataloguing, researching, and conserving both physical and living heritage. On the tangible side, it will document monuments, historic buildings, and archaeological artifacts. On the intangible side, it will register oral traditions, rituals, languages, artisanal crafts, and communal expressions. Over time, the group plans to build comprehensive cultural inventories, craft heritage routes, launch targeted conservation projects, and propose updates to relevant legislation.
Cultural wealth along the Ribera
Chapala’s riverbank hosts archaeological treasures in Mezcala, Tuxcueca, and Ajijic, alongside a thriving folk culture of dance, music, festivals, and cuisine. International literary figures—among them D.H. Lawrence, Malcolm Lowry, and Tennessee Williams—left their mark on the region’s creative legacy. Emblematic sites include the San Francisco de Asís parish in Tizapán el Alto, the historic Chapala railroad station, and several haciendas and ceremonial centers. In the living-heritage realm, researchers have catalogued 31 traditional festivals, as well as distinctive customs like mariachi performances, feather dances, michi broth, charales, and local handicrafts.
Integration and operation
Committee members will convene every three months, with the option to call special sessions when urgent needs arise. Key participants include cultural promoter Ignacio Bonilla Arroyo; former Jalisco Secretary of Culture Alejandro Cravioto Lebrija; archaeologist María Irma Iturbide; local chronicler Tomás de Híjar Ornelas; and Wixárika poet Gabriel Pacheco Salvador. Together, they will guide the committee’s work, tapping their expertise to ensure that Chapman cultural heritage remains vibrant and accessible for future generations.
By establishing this committee, UdeG’s Chapala campus demonstrates a clear commitment to heritage preservation and community engagement. Through coordinated efforts across sectors, the initiative will help ensure that the riverside’s stories, traditions, and landmarks continue to enrich local identity and attract visitors who value authentic cultural experiences.
The University of Guadalajara’s Chapala campus formed a multidisciplinary committee on June 25, 2025, to protect and promote the region’s . . .
