Common Heritage, Shared Responsibility
NGO helps preserve cultural heritage in local communities
The ancient Chinese civilization has left the nation an abundance of tangible cultural heritage, including magnificent royal buildings, but also numerous folk monuments scattered in urban areas and rural towns. Since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, China has increasingly paid much attention to the protection of cultural heritage. In addition to the legislative and administrative measures at national and local levels, many non-government organizations (NGOS) have also joined in this cause.
One of these is the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP), an NGO based in Beijing. In the nearly 20 years since its establishment, via cooperation with relevant experts and recruitment of volunteers, it has carried out various projects and activities to support public protection of their own cultural heritage in communities.
Documenting changes in hutongs
Since its establishment in 2003, the CHP has focused on local cultural heritage, and from 2006 to 2008, it conducted a research project called “Friends of Old Beijing.” Through field surveys, it collected basic information and examined the conservation status of historical and cultural conservation areas, hutongs and ancient buildings in the core areas of Beijing’s old city. It also launched two annual evaluation reports to promote the conservation of old areas.
Hutongs are typical backstreets in Beijing’s old city areas. These traditional streets have a history of more than 750 years since the capital of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) was established in the area of present-day Beijing. Many old hutongs still exist in the 62.5 square km of the old city, within Beijing’s second ring road.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, due to the country’s economic and social development, the number of hutongs has declined. The information about hutongs is also very limited. In 2006, a research report conducted by the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning & Design and Beijing
University of Civil Engineering and Architecture shows that there were 1,353 hutongs in the old part of Beijing in 2005.
Based on more than 10 years of documenting and surveying Beijing’s old city, the CHP launched “Walk the Old Beijing Program” in 2016. Hu Xinyu, trustee of the CHP, told Chinafrica that the limited information shows that the total number of hutongs is decreasing year by year. With continuous economic development, many buildings next to hutongs have transformed from one-floor bungalow houses to towering office buildings and some facilities now no longer meet authentic standards. “The current situation, problems, and possible solutions of hutongs are the original reasons of starting this program,” he said.
The program ran for three years until 2019. The CHP team and over 160 recruited volunteers went deep into hutongs to photograph, measure, observe, and record, forming a new hutong database. At the same time, a useful handbook and a report were produced to help the public experience and learn the history and culture of old Beijing. The CHP team hopes to make the program a long-term project, and will continue to focus on and record changes in the future.
The volunteers include both local Beijingers and new Beijingers from outside the city. Many of them want to learn more about Beijing and make their own contribution.
Regenerating courtyard houses
A courtyard house (Siheyuan) is a traditional Chinese house, forming a courtyard from all four sides with one-floor bungalow buildings. It has a long history of more than 3,000 years, reflecting the traditional Chinese idea of hierarchy and the five elements of yin and yang.
With the growing demand of a modern lifestyle, many new materials and ways of house repair have emerged and proliferated, destroying the traditional architectural and aesthetic value. For example, wood is substituted with cement for pillars. And aluminum alloy doors are used instead of wood and brick doors.
Currently, the CHP is conducting a training program on the restoration of courtyard houses. For the improperly restored houses, they provide professional and technical support and various suggestions to the tenants, property owners, and construction teams, trying to realize residents’ housing needs while pursuing traditional beauty, and reducing the destruction of traditional buildings.
Based on the common ground of interests, Hu said that they aim to achieve the preservation of house structures. “We advise house agents to add insulation and waterproofing in the walls. Even though the cost of renovation is increased, it can [not only] reduce the subsequent home problems, but also preserve the overall aesthetics and improve the value of the house,” he said.
Revitalizing ethnic art
According to the Seventh National Population Census, by November 1, 2020, the population of the ethnic minorities was nearly 125.5 million, accounting for nearly 8.9 percent of China’s population. Due to industrial development, natural disasters, and population movements, some types of minority cultural heritage have suffered different kinds of loss and destruction.
In order to help ethnic minorities inherit their traditions and revive their cultural strengths, with funding and support from various sources, the CHP has carried out four ethnic minority cultural revitalization projects since 2005, releasing compilations of ethnic cultural information involving Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces and assisting in one handicraft conservation program. The related publications are collected by local minority groups, libraries and museums, and the woven handicrafts have been sold at home and abroad.
From 2009 to 2010, the CHP conducted the third project named A’er Village Qiang Minority Cultural Revitalization, aiming to help the villagers preserve their Qiang ethnic culture.
The Qiang people have a long history and unique culture, and they currently reside in Sichuan and Guizhou. The A’er Village is located in Sichuan’s Wenchuan County. Some of their cultural heritage was damaged during the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008. In order to preserve the remaining parts of Qiang culture, the CHP team mobilized a group of local volunteers to record the traditional culture of their own ethnic group in various fields, and then translate it from Qiang language into Chinese to form a published archive.
Cultural heritage protection is a public affair, and there are still real problems such as weak public awareness and disputes over interests. The CHP continues to cooperate with experts, scholars, media and other role players from all walks of life to discuss and promote related matters, in a bid to retain traditional Chinese culture and pass on Chinese cultural wisdom.
In the form of an archive, we support the local community so that they can realize their valuable culture and enhance the internal drive for cultural recognition.
HU XINYU Trustee of CHP