Suchergebnisse

China has a long history of architecture, almost as long as the history of the country itself, however, it has a relatively short history for building preservation. Historic preservation practice in China is no older than 100 years, while the standardized and legitimate preservation system is even younger. Historic preservation in China is limited to several factors. First, Chinese people generally have not been enthusiastic about historic preservation. China has only reached the peak of its economic development in the last decade. Before this period, government officials were focused exclusively on ameliorating the poverty of the country. Because of this, historic preservation was not considered a high priority for the government or the public. Secondly, most of China's historic buildings are wooden structures. These were constructed with the expectation that they would be regularly renovated or repainted every few decades to maintain performance and aesthetic appeal. Thirdly, large building sites, such as palaces, gardens, and monuments, were often destroyed completely once the new ruling class replaced the Qing dynasty. Therefore, the proportion of historic architectural treasures left in China is small compared to Western countries whose monumental historic buildings are constructed mainly of masonry. Lastly, Chinese preservationists have searched many decades to create their own efficient, unique, and Chinese-specific approaches to historic preservation. Chinese architectural historians and historic preservationists have debated Chinese and Western opposing preservation opinions until today. This same discussion is occurring more frequently in the United States as well. Even though China does not have as much experience with historic preservation as does the United States, Japan, and many European countries, its influential cultural background offers a fresh and unique point of view for problems in historic preservation. This thesis will address the development of Chinese preservation history, debates over different approaches in preservation practice, and two related case studies echoing these opposing voices in the preservation decision-making process.