The Inclusion of Unwanted Past in Heritage Era

Ref.: 122
Domaine thématique: 04 Résumés dont les auteurs n''ont pas indiqué de reference aux thèmes proposés
Date de réception: 15/11/2008

AUTEURS (*Auteur principal)

WANG, Shu-Yi * (États-Unis d'Amérique) - Center for Sustainable Urbanism

RÉSUMÉ

A historic urban landscape is a complex social system with political, economic, and cultural aspects, evolving from systematic formation and social order. Through morphological process, a meaningful urban landscape with significant anchor elements is created and is transformed through time. The German geographer, Conzen (1966), in his early study indicates the relationship between urban landscape management and cultural continuity in an historical context. Among scholars who devote to the study of historic urban settlements, Conzen and his followers suggest using the concept of "urban landscape management" instead of "preservation" in order to achieve the goal of urban conservation and to better use the city's resources.

In my research, I followed Conzen's theory on the interpretation of historic urban landscape to investigate the city building of the Ancient City of Pingyao in China, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1997 because of its physical integrity and historic richness. The Ancient City of Pingyao is a traditional Chinese city and was planned according to traditional ritual canons and Feng Shui rules. From a successful financial city during the Qing Dynasties to a living city, the walled city has gone through social, economic and political transformation for the past 100 years. The historic urban landscape in Pingyao today is a synthesis of attributes between social and political needs.

The town plan, city center and, the arrangement of traditional anchor elements were established in the heyday in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Although traditional architecture was not appreciated in the new socialist culture after the Chinese Socialist Revolution in 1949, the socialist government did not intentionally destroy the established area from previous dynasties. In order to break from the feudal system, modern buildings were built to replace the functions of traditional anchor buildings and to represent the new socialist culture. Most of them were strategically located along the urban fringe of the established area, becoming landmarks at the end of the main and secondary streets. However, modern buildings and structures were largely ignored in the contemporary China, and were planned to be replaced with traditional courtyard houses in 10 years after World Heritage designation.

The historical urban fabric in Pingyao today is the morphological and evolutionary result of changes in the social, cultural and physical environment. Given the majority are not the descendants of those picturesque courtyard houses, most modern buildings from the 20th century indeed are collective memory among existing local population. Due to less importance on political and economic position in China, the elimination of these modern buildings from 20th century was never a huge debate. However, if the preservation of urban historic landscape is not supposed to freeze the progression of the city's history, it should help to adapt the historic environment to modern needs without destroying the physical environment, while facilitating cultural continuity despite changes in the social and economic environments.

BIBLIOGRAPHIE