| Conservation and development of the Venetian Towns in China |
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| Culture | |
| Sunday, 24 October 2010 | |
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Conservation and development of the Venetian Towns in the South of the Yantze River
By Professor Ruan Yisan, Director of the National Research Centre for Historic Cities, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Institute of Archaeology Lecture Theatre, UCL
Thursday, 21st October, 2010
China is known for its rapid modernisation in the past few decades and more recently, new architectural schemes in large cities that involve internationally renowned architects and engineers.
Professor Ruan Yisan, foreseeing the issues that modern development would bring intervened at the very beginning of this period. From the 1960s to 80s, he travelled around China, mainly to small towns and villages where original street layout and regional architecture remained intact from over a century of devastation due to wars, the Cultural Revolution, and urbanisation. He captured local lifestyles and their harmonious living environment in photographs, which later served as attestation for his negotiations with government leaders.
In his talk, Prof. Ruan shared his work in conserving six water-towns in the south of the Yangtze River, known as Jiangnan area. The water-towns, Zhouzhuang, Tongli, Nanxun, Wuzhen, Luzhi and Xitang, are also referred to as the ‘Venetian Towns’ because of their similarity to Venice with canals replacing streets, and local residents commuting mainly by boat.
The six towns shared common characteristics, and Prof. Ruan analysed each town from environmental, cultural, social and economic perspectives. What mattered most, according to him, was the uniqueness of each town, from their agricultural produce to architectural style to local handicraft. This uniqueness was visible when he made his visits and has been the impetus of his effort in conservation work since the 1980s.
There were extraordinary stories throughout the talk. For example, in some towns bridges over 500 years old were demolished without consultation. Whilst canals were being filled to make roads for vehicles and factories emerged at a pace that was ‘out of control, Prof. Ruan approached local government to preserve areas that were still inaccessible but still retained a significant importance in terms of Chinese heritage. At the time, it took him two days to travel to the water-town of Zhouzhuang , near Shanghai, by boat and foot. Today, you can get there in a couple of hours by car.
The most important strategy in conservation work in China, in his view, is to increase ‘the awareness of the importance on the conservation among the local people’, and to achieve conservation during the urban development process. Prof. Ruan believes in the power of education and regards it as a pre-requisite to appreciate and respect heritage sites. He also works closely with urban planners to ensure that new infrastructure can be installed with minimal disruption to improve the standard of life in conservation areas. In practice, his adopts the European approach to conservation: original materials are sourced and applied in the same fashion as it used to be, following original designs.
Prof. Ruan concluded the lecture with a powerful statement: new towns and cities in China all look the same. The lack of character in buildings and a lifestyle that does not relate to the land or local culture results in homogenised places. He believes that conservation areas provide blueprints for new cities. The enhanced awareness among local residents, general public and policymakers on the value of heritage sites will rid short-lived side-effects of tourism such as commercialism.
Prof. Ruan looks back as well as into the future in considering the role of conservation, and his enthusiasm and dedication can be felt vividly in his talk – even if you do not understand Chinese. Next week, he will be giving a lecture on one of the most rapidly modernised city in the world – Shanghai - as part of The Meridian Society’s annual lecture series. The lecture is called ‘Shanghai: impossible city’ and will be held at the Royal Institute of British Architects on Tuesday, 26th of October at 6:30pm, to be followed by a reception. If you’re interested in urban developments in China, this talk is definitely not to be missed.
Further Information: RIBA is offering a specially discounted fee of £5.50 to members of The Meridian Society; for non-members, the fee is £8.50. Dimsum members may attend the talk at £5.50, the Meridian Society members rate.
To book your place, please go to the following link:
http://www.architecture.com/WhatsOn/Talks/Events/2010/Autumn/ShanghaiImpossibleCity.aspx
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