Evening scenery of the historical and cultural block of Sanfang and Seven Alleys in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. Photo by Zi Kuang
The replacement of the old and the new is the norm of urban development, and in this succession process, cultural heritage such as old buildings, old streets and alleys, and old courtyards have become important carriers of urban memory and personal emotions.
"The existing cultural heritage, like scattered pearls, urgently needs to be protected and utilized to weave a magnificent picture of Chinese civilization. On the occasion of the International Day of Monuments and Sites (April 18), Zhang Jie, a national engineering survey and design master, a professor at the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, and a distinguished dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning of Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China City Daily.
Zhang Jie reminded that the current situation of the historical and cultural relics of mainland cities is relatively scattered and diverse, and the way of large-scale demolition and construction cannot be adopted, but the "embroidery" work should be used to repair, repair and revitalize; the symbiosis of the old and the new, and the integration of "culture and green" may be an important topic for the sustainable development of cities in the future.
“要避免修而不用、保用脱节”
China City Daily: In 1982, the State Council announced the first batch of national historical and cultural cities. After more than 40 years of spring and autumn, what achievements have been made in the construction of famous historical and cultural cities on the mainland, and what stage has it reached so far?
Zhang Jie: Over the past 40 years or so, the mainland has gradually established an overall protection system for famous historical and cultural cities with Chinese characteristics, and has formed relevant theoretical methods, technical standards and management systems.
First of all, after decades of exploration, we have initially established a system of protection elements that are in line with the characteristics of Chinese history and culture.
Secondly, the cosmology and ritual system formed by the Chinese civilization in a specific geographical environment have endowed traditional Chinese cities with distinctive cultural characteristics that are different from those of the West. In ancient China, the landscape environment was not only an ecological element, but also a universal cultural phenomenon that was closely related to settlements. The protection of multi-level cultural landscapes is particularly important for the inheritance of history and culture and the sustainable development of the ecological environment.
Thirdly, in the mainland, there are great differences in social culture, productivity levels, and construction techniques in different regions and periods, creating a rich and diverse urban built heritage. Protecting and inheriting diverse features in a true and complete manner is an important issue for the protection and renewal of urban areas. In-depth research and practice have been carried out in this area in Fuzhou Sanfang Qixiang in Fujian, Taoyangli in Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province, and Wudian City in Jinjiang in Quanzhou, Fujian Province.
Finally, although the mainland has explored and accumulated valuable experience in conservation and renewal, it is not yet able to meet the differentiated needs of all parts of the country. From the perspective of the current and future development of the mainland, the protection of famous cities and neighborhoods will be more closely integrated with urban renewal, and it is necessary to adhere to the principle of "development in protection and protection in development", avoid repairing without use, and disjointed maintenance, and more closely integrate protection with social and economic development, so as to embark on a sustainable path of heritage protection.
China City Daily: Based on practical experience, what impact do you think the protection and utilization of historical and cultural cities and neighborhoods will have on the city and its residents?
Zhang Jie: Protecting and making good use of famous historical and cultural cities and neighborhoods can highlight the cultural charm of the city and greatly enhance the cultural identity and pride of community residents. The protection and utilization of cultural heritage related to ordinary people can not only retain the memory of the city and evoke "nostalgia", but also integrate history into the present, shape the spirit of the place of the city and the community, stimulate the love of residents for traditional culture, and consolidate the mass foundation of cultural heritage.
At the same time, the protection and utilization of the old city has promoted the improvement of the quality of the living environment in the old city and made the city more livable. In the process of protection and utilization, a large amount of investment from the government and all social forces has promoted the improvement of the hardware of the old city and the block, the modern public services and living service facilities such as culture, sports, health and health have been supplemented, and the original dirty and poor environment has been renovated and improved...... These efforts have really benefited people's livelihoods.
In addition, through protection and utilization, the industrial and functional structure has been optimized, the vitality of the city has been enhanced, and the high-quality development of the city has been effectively promoted. Cultural heritage involves the basic elements of comprehensive and sustainable urban development such as industry, people, and environment, and is a high-quality catalyst for driving urban green renewal. Urban protection and renewal can also stimulate new productive forces such as science and technology innovation industries and digital economy, and promote urbanization and economic transformation and development with new kinetic energy.
"Use 'embroidery' to repair, weave, and revitalize"
China City Daily: In February this year, the General Office of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the General Office of the National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Guidelines for the Construction of Protection and Improvement Projects of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities and Neighborhoods (Trial)", mentioning that the construction of projects should achieve "six noes". What do you think of these "six nos"?
Zhang Jie: The "Six Noes" further deepens the requirements for the protection and inheritance of historical and cultural heritage from the level of project construction, involving construction methods, construction scale, human-land relationship, relationship between protection and utilization, historical texture pattern, historical buildings, historical environment, old place names, etc., which are both comprehensive and comprehensive.
In the context of heritage protection and urban renewal, the distribution of historical and cultural relics in mainland cities is relatively scattered, and the style is multi-faceted. The morphological pattern and historical buildings of the old city and the area carry real information and emotions, and are the most intuitive and vivid carriers of national historical and cultural memory.
The ancient Chinese wisdom of camping the city has laid the foundation for the harmonious coexistence of Chinese cities and nature, and has also created a unique landscape and cultural landscape, such as Kunming Dianchi Lake and Jinan Spring Water, which are not only the ecological base of these cities and their regions, but also the source of urban culture. Protecting the organic relationship between the city and the ecology, respecting the carrying capacity of resources and the environment, and not blindly adding and expanding the scale of construction are important contents of the sustainable development of China's historical cities under the dual meaning of ecology and culture.
China City Daily: What do you think is the key to digging deep into the cultural genes of Chinese civilization and protecting, inheriting, and making good use of the historical and cultural heritage that has stood for thousands of years?
Zhang Jie: First, we should focus on the outstanding characteristics of the theme of Chinese civilization, such as clear context, eclecticism, pluralism and continuity, which is the basis for protection, utilization and inheritance. The mainland has a long history, and the confluence of the six major archaeological and cultural regions in the early days constituted the Yellow River civilization and the Yangtze River civilization, laying the foundation of the Chinese civilization. Cities are the hallmarks of civilization, especially in the continuous historic districts. These existing cultural heritages are like scattered pearls, which urgently need to be connected into threads through protection, utilization, and inheritance to weave a magnificent picture of Chinese civilization.
Second, it is necessary to identify and protect the real and rich heritage system, and put an end to the demolition of the real and the construction of the fake. Through continuous and in-depth research, it is necessary to explore the position and value of the object of protection in the context of the great history of Chinese civilization, and even its important position in world history. It is necessary to respect the superposition of time and space of urban heritage, not to simplify the characteristics of the city based on personal likes and dislikes and the appearance of a certain period, and to carry forward the rich history in the protection and inheritance.
Third, we must promote protection with use, so that history and culture can be integrated with modern life. In the process of rapid urban development, strict protection of urban heritage and keeping the bottom line are the foundation of protection and inheritance. At the same time, urban construction should be carried out through scientific planning and design, so that the rich historical and cultural heritage can be displayed and utilized as it should, so as to be perceived by the public and serve the public. On the basis of the protection and control of the red line, it is necessary to combine the construction practice and leave flexibility, so that the scattered heritage elements can be effectively integrated and utilized.
Due to historical reasons, most of the protected objects face systemic problems such as dilapidated quality, complex property rights, serious arrears of facilities, and insufficient investment in protection funds. It is necessary to establish a classified and hierarchical management system that organically combines protection and renewal, and formulate different regulatory, fiscal, tax, technical and other strategies for different types of protection and renewal, so as to realize the protection and revitalization of cultural heritage, and make it a "comprehensive infrastructure" that can effectively solve social, economic, cultural, environmental and other sustainable development problems.
"Heritage conservation should not be an 'image project'"
China City Daily: What are the issues that need to be paid attention to in the current work of urban heritage protection and utilization, what are the contents worthy of our reflection and improvement, and what countermeasures and suggestions do you have?
Zhang Jie: Heritage protection should not become an "image project", which will lead to repairs but not use, disjointed maintenance, detachment from the people, and waste of resources and funds. In the face of a large number of urban heritages, we must adhere to the principle of promoting protection and protection and development.
Heritage conservation is a meticulous "cultural-economic" project, and the working principle of value research should be established. Most of the information about historical cities and neighborhoods is not found in history books. The conservation work needs to carry out in-depth "block archaeology" to explore the cultural connotation of urban blocks and identify the real value carriers. In this way, the history of the country and the history around us can be vividly represented with real remains.
The protection and utilization of urban heritage involves many stakeholders, and many problems such as property rights, funds, functions, and management are often faced in the implementation of projects, which is an important aspect of contemporary urban governance. Urban heritage protection and utilization projects should clarify the different attributes of public welfare, semi-public welfare and market, and determine public policies and market mechanisms accordingly, such as the introduction of tax incentives, subsidies and other fiscal policies to promote the coordination and sustainable development of cultural industries and cultural undertakings.
China City Daily: What do you think is the trend and direction of the protection of famous historical and cultural cities and neighborhoods in the future?
Zhang Jie: First, cultural protection will be more closely integrated with green renewal. Whether it is urban protection or urban renewal, it aims to make scientific use of the existing built environment. The integration of "culture and green" will be a major topic for the sustainable development of cities in the future, which is also in line with the "double carbon" goal.
The second is the symbiosis of the old and the new. As the core area of the city, the old city and the neighborhood are faced with the adaptive implantation of new quality productivity elements such as new materials, new energy, and new facilities in the process of urban renewal.
The third is to improve the level of digital intelligence. The conservation project will make greater use of emerging technologies such as digitalization and artificial intelligence to promote more efficient supervision, broader and more vivid public participation and dissemination, and promote the construction of a "new culture of the Chinese nation".
Fourth, promote high-quality urban development through protection and renewal. The object of protection is a cultural asset and a catalyst for people-oriented action to promote urban renewal. Combined with the characteristics of relevant innovative groups, the scientific protection and utilization of historic cities and neighborhoods will promote urban employment, industrial upgrading and environmental quality improvement.
■ Zheng Xinyu, a reporter from China City Daily
Original title: "Wenlu" integrates and protects the cultural context, and the old and the new symbiosis create a famous city
——Interview with Zhang Jie, a national engineering survey and design master and professor of the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University