The hierarchical conservation system of urban history and culture in China

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Since the 1970s, China has gradually set up a hierarchical system to protect its urban history and culture. According to the Regulations on the Protection of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities, Towns and Villages issued by the State Council in 2008, this hierarchical protection system is composed of historical and cultural areas, and historical and cultural cities, and cultural relics.

Historical and cultural areas refers to the urban districts nominated respectively by the national, provincial, and municipal governments that are full of historical and cultural remains and can fully reflect the traditional features of a certain historical period or the unique local ethnic characteristics. As they are a kind of living cultural heritage where lots of residents are still living, attention should be made to the protection of not only the physical environment, such as urban tissue, street grid, historic buildings, and old trees, but also the living vitality and cultural diversity of the people.

Historic and cultural city refers to a city famous for its heritage of historic and cultural values. In China, a city particularly rich in historical heritage and of great historical values or commemorative significance can be listed by the State Council as National Historic and Cultural Cities. Once a city has been registered, it can get financial support from the Central Government. In some provinces, there is also a similar system to classify and support the Historic and Cultural Cities at province-level. 

Cultural relics refers to Wen Wu in Chinese, it is an abbreviated form of Wen Wu Gu Ji, commonly translated as 'cultural relics' in heritage laws in China. In the Principles for the Conservation of Heritage Sites in China (ICOMOS China, 2015), it is translated as 'heritage site' or simply as 'site'. Though cultural relics is generally used for tangible heritage, whether moveable or immoveable, in the conservation system, it mainly refers to immoveable heritage, that is, heritage sites and buildings, including their associated content and components. 

Source:

CNTERM (2021) Chinese Terms in Urban and Rural Planning. Beijing, Science Press. 

ICOMOS China (2015) Principles for the Conservation of Heritage Sites in China. Beijing, Cultural Relics Press. 

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Edited by Liang Xiuchun