Historic buildings
Continuing the context of a city
Carrying the memory of the city
Songjiang, which thrives on water transportation
Historic buildings abound
Silently yearning for visitors
The past of this historic and cultural city
How to pass on historic buildings
Historical, cultural and artistic value?
How to be in the context of urban renewal
Preserving the historic building?
In recent years, Songjiang has adhered to the principle of "accessible, touchable and perceptible", promoted the protection and activation of cultural relics buildings, and the old houses of Sijing Xiatang Ancient Town, Cangcheng Historical and Cultural Landscape Area and Fucheng Historical and Cultural Landscape Area have been awakened, realizing the win-win integration of cultural relics protection and cultural tourism, and the "House of Culture and Museum" with Cangcheng, Fucheng and Sijing Historical and Cultural Landscape Areas as the core is becoming increasingly mature.
Baolun Hall under renovation
Ingenuity to preserve historical memories
"Repairing the old as the old" is a topic that cannot be avoided in the process of repairing historical buildings, but how to repair and how to repair the building so that the building can maintain the original style while conforming to the pace of contemporary urban renewal? In this regard, the answer given by the relevant personnel of the protection and renewal of Sijing Ancient Town is: ingenuity.
Located at No. 368 Kaijiang Middle Road, Sijing Town, the "Baolun Hall" (commonly known as the "Wang Family Hall") was verified by cultural relics experts as a mid-Qing Dynasty building, and was identified as a cultural relic protection unit in Songjiang District in 2013. In 2018, Sijing Town started the renovation of Baoluntang.
"The big difference between the repair of ancient houses and ordinary house repairs is that it is necessary to restore the original style of the building." Wang Jibo, a staff member of the Sijing Town Protection and Renewal Management Committee, introduced that before the restoration of the ancient house, the team consulted various records, documents, photos and other historical research materials, hoping that the building could conform to the old appearance. "We use the same material as the logs for each of the big pieces here, and we use different techniques in the restoration process according to their role and characteristics." Wang Jibo revealed that in order to restore the unique chicken spine and long tail shape in Sijing, he carefully traced the hundreds of buildings around Sijing Street, studied the shape and fired it himself. The site has been continuously improved according to rigorous research and construction plans, so that Baolun Hall can regain its old glory.
After the renovation of Baoluntang
In addition to the application of traditional craftsmanship, the preservation and maintenance of historic buildings also requires the use of modern craftsmanship. Wang Jibo told reporters that in the process of roof construction of Baoluntang, in order to achieve better use results, the team strictly followed the traditional process of restoring bricks and tiles, and also introduced the practice of modern technology. "The membrane installation must be 'flat, solid and light', so that the appearance can be almost hidden after the roof is restored, and the waterproof effect is greatly improved, and the warranty period is extended." Wang Jibo said.
It is reported that there are a total of 303 cultural relics protection units and protection sites in Songjiang, and more and more investment has been invested in cultural relics restoration in recent years. Data show that from 2013 to 2022, more than 80 immovable cultural relics at all levels have been repaired in the region, and since 2019, the total investment in the restoration of cultural relics in the region, including financial funds at all levels, has been about 300 million yuan. "What makes a city different is its cultural heritage and historical context. As one of the important forms of inheriting history and preserving memory, historical buildings are non-renewable and irreplaceable, and once destroyed, there is no possibility of renewal. That's why we spend so much time and energy repairing the existing historic buildings in Songjiang and preserving the city's true memory. Zhang Feng, director of the Songjiang District Cultural Management Institute, introduced that buildings such as Zhou's House and Shengshu Pine's House are being repaired in our district, and 12 immovable cultural relics such as Xiunan Bridge and Nianfeng Life Bridge in Yongfeng Street, Jinguanlin House and Cao Residence in Sijing Town are about to be repaired.
The old house is reborn and integrated into real life
Along Zhongshan West Road, there are many old houses worth savoring. The predecessor of Cross Tang Chengyue Book Garden (China Tourism Bookstore) is the only ancient pawnshop building preserved in Songjiang District - Xu's Pawnshop, the old house combines the cultural elements of the pawnshop, integrates art, reading and leisure, and provides "cross-border" services such as exhibitions, light catering, and salon activities; Weijue Bookhouse is remodeled in Wang's House, beautiful environment, rich cultural heritage, not borrowed or sold can only see its characteristics, five bookhouses leave 5 managers with their own personalities, tourists can enter this house away from the hustle and bustle, indulge in the fun of reading; Du's Carved Building is an important display window for promoting intangible cultural heritage, displaying the humanistic history of Songjiang's urban development, cultural achievements, market customs, ancestors and famous scholars, as well as interactive experience of intangible cultural heritage, bringing visitors a rich and colorful experience...
"The old house should not only be a static display place, but also a living research place and an experience place." According to Zhou Xia, deputy manager of Shanghai Cangcheng Development and Construction Co., Ltd., if you just hold an exhibition in the old house, it will inevitably make tourists feel the same. Rich formats and tangible entities are the real content that attracts tourists.
Restoration and protection is the foundation, and the activation and utilization of historical buildings is a better cultural inheritance. How many ways can historic buildings be opened? In addition to the earlier development of the Cangcheng Historical and Cultural District, Sijing Xiatang Ancient Town and Fucheng Historical and Cultural Landscape Area also have surprises. In the Fucheng Historical and Cultural Landscape Zone, the Yunjian Granary Cultural and Creative Industrial Park has been completed and opened to the public, forming a complex integrating cultural exhibition and display, cultural and creative industry development and utilization on the basis of in-depth excavation of historical and cultural heritage; In Sijing Xiatang Ancient Town, the Guqin Culture and Art Museum "Songfeng Listening", Xiaolin Comics "Blossom" reading art space, tea culture research center and Xiangyin teahouse "Yueqi Huaming" led by the Wumenqin school have successively settled in Jiang's House, Ding's House, Cheng's House, and "Nancun Yingxue" to form "Wind and Snow Moon" 4 Internet celebrity check-in places... Up to now, more than 30 cultural relics buildings in Songjiang have been renovated and opened to the public.
"Historic buildings should not only be 'built', but also 'brought to life'. In the future, we will continue to encourage the 'activation' and utilization of cultural heritage buildings, uphold the principle of 'accessible, touchable and perceptible', let cultural heritage buildings play their due value, and achieve a win-win situation between cultural relics protection and cultural tourism." Zhang Feng said.
Text: Gui Kexin
Image: Courtesy of interviewee
Editors: Chen Yan, Zhang Youming, Jia Li