New publication by Fabienne Wallenwein

In China, traditional residential areas have often been at the heart of redevelopment projects involving the demolition of traditional housing structures and their replacement with high-rise apartment blocks. Besides threatening the survival of local traditions, the loss of historical urban fabric due to rapid urbanization has progressively led to the emergence of monotonous cityscapes. At the beginning of the 1980s, central and local governments responded to these swift urban changes by setting a preservation agenda for 24 cities with important cultural relics and high historical value. Drawing on international standards and experiences of early Chinese architects, such as Liang Sicheng, the concept of “Historically and Culturally Famous Cities” began to take shape.

Dr. Fabienne Wallenwein´s volume “
Tackling Urban Monotony: Cultural Heritage Conservation in China’s Historically and Culturally Famous Cities” approaches the development of the HCF City conservation paradigm from a theoretical and practical perspective. Drawing on primary material from Chinese conservation and planning authorities, legal bodies, and conservation protocols, the author focuses on processes of integrated conservation and urban development in three revitalized residential areas in the Jiangnan region, two of which are endowed with a markedly historical fabric.

Strictly adhering to international conservation guidelines, the development of the Pingjiang Historic and Cultural Block in Suzhou came about in the conservation of its central road. As a pilot site for UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape management approach, Tongli Ancient Water Town explores its own “Tongli model” for an integration of residential and scenic areas. Contrastingly, the transformation of factory buildings and lilong architecture into a creative crucible in Tianzifang, Shanghai, is a remarkable example of a bottom-up approach to urban conservation. Through these case studies, the research shows how the concept of “Historically and Culturally Famous City” has developed into a multi-layered conservation system for urban areas with different characteristics and demands.

The volume was published by
Xasia eBooks, the open access publication platform of CrossAsia, and is available as a digital as well as a hardcover copy.

Dr. Fabienne Wallenwein is a postdoctoral researcher in the HCTS interdisciplinary project “Materiality, Narration, Lived Experience: Overcoming Epistemic Inequalities in Non-Urban Landscapes.” Following her doctorate in Chinese Studies at Heidelberg University (2019), she worked as an assistant professor at the
Institute of Chinese Studies. Her research interests include cultural heritage conservation and management, economic development, housing, and urbanization in China.