Event explores protection, vitalization of 20th-century heritage

BY YANG XIAOYU  |  CHINADAILY.COM.CN  |   UPDATED: 2026-05-18 15:03

The Academic Symposium on Exploring 20th-Century Architectural Heritage: Co-creating the Cultural and Tourism Value of Urban Heritage is held at the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, on May 10, 2026. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An academic symposium on co-creating the cultural and tourism value of 20th-century architectural heritage was held on May 10 at the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, highlighting strategies for integrating heritage into contemporary culture and tourism development.

Co-hosted by the Committee on 20th-Century Architectural Heritage, affiliated with the Chinese Cultural Relics Society and North China University of Technology, the event continued the heavyweight photography exhibition Architecture Through A Historical Lens which opened on May 9 at the same venue.

"It is the first national-level showcase of Chinese 20th-century architectural heritage," Jin Lei, deputy director and secretary-general of the Committee on 20th-Century Architectural Heritage, said.

The exhibition displays 247 photographs selected from nearly 10,000 public submissions. It is co-hosted by China Photographers Association, Chinese Cultural Relics Society, the Publicity Department of CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, and Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

An installation view of Architecture Through A Historical Lens: Photography Exhibition on 20th-Century Chinese Heritage at the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

It has attracted widespread acclaim for thoroughly surveying the country's modern architectural masterworks to showcase the historical value, cultural essence and aesthetic characteristics of the heritage category, which is often deemed too young and susceptible to neglect.

The committee, committed to surveying, studying and promoting China's 20th-century architectural heritage, has designated 1,000 buildings from the last century, unveiled in 10 batches since 2016, as Chinese 20th-century architectural heritage.

"It's also the first time that homage is paid to Chinese-style modernization through 20th-century architectural landmarks which serve as testaments to the Chinese Communist Party's history and the tremendous transformation of New China," he added.

Jin also noted that the exhibition's first leg in Beijing features a special section with a complete inventory of the capital's 148 20th-century architectural heritage sites. He praised the contribution of faculty and students from North China University of Technology, who spent nine weeks creating three detailed heritage maps and refrigerator magnets, turning abstract history into tangible, shareable items for the public.

The exhibition runs until June 30 in Beijing and is scheduled to tour many other Chinese cities, according to its organizers.

Ma Guoxin (center), a renowned architect and academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Shan Jixiang (second from left), former director of the Palace Museum in Beijing, attend the photography exhibition’s opening at the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, on May 9, 2026. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Conserving a living heritage

Veteran architects, heritage researchers, university professors, and students gathered at the symposium to discuss the role of 20th-century heritage in cultural tourism, necessary policy adaptations, and public education to ensure this often-overlooked heritage gains proper recognition and sustainable value.

Symposium participants agreed that 20th-century architectural heritage is a type of living heritage that refuses static conservation.

In his speech "Conservation for the Sustainability of Living Heritage," Tongji University professor Zhang Song cited the definition of "living heritage" by the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, which refers to the term as tangible places, traditions, and practices created in the past and still in use, which embody spiritual and material needs in a specific time and space and continue to shape community life.

Zhang emphasized that local communities surrounding heritage sites should be prioritized in conservation efforts to ensure "authenticity, integrity and continuity." Core communities should be allowed to adapt and develop both tangible and intangible heritage while retaining their relevance to contemporary life.

Chief architect of Zhongnan Institute of Architectural Design Gui Xuewen [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Chief architect of Zhongnan Institute of Architectural Design Gui Xuewen stressed that 20th-century heritage holds national memory, technical value, and a living status.

Using examples from the renovation and expansion projects of the Chinese People's Revolutionary Military Museum and the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, he said heritage preservation should foster dialogue between the past and the present rather than freeze buildings as specimens.

Fan Xin, senior chief architect at Xinjiang Institute of Architectural Design & Research Co Ltd and director of the Xinjiang Architectural Cultural Heritage Research Center, highlighted that the 14 designated 20th-century architectural heritage sites in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region reflect the area's multi-ethnic culture, revolutionary spirit, and frontier development. When renovating Xinjiang People's Theater, her team focused on minimal intervention—preserving original terrazzo and ethnic patterns while upgrading spaces, lighting, and fire safety systems.

The theater was selected as one of the 40 successful cases of cultural relic restoration and revitalization projects featured in The 20th-Century Chinese Architectural Heritage Annual Report (2014-2024).

"When revitalizing architectural heritage, architects must restrain their personal preferences and desires, and show profound respect and reverence for history," she urged.

Fan was delighted to see the theater become a cultural hub in Urumqi, hosting performances, movies, exhibitions, lectures and forums. She warned that vitalization is never a one-time effort and requires continued care and monitoring for sustainability.

Zhang Bo, Party secretary of the School of Architecture and Art at North China University of Technology [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Mobilizing forces to sustain the heritage

Zhang Bo, Party secretary of the School of Architecture and Art at North China University of Technology, highlighted the role of universities in heritage protection in speech. His school has launched a university-wide general education course titled "Introduction to 20th Century Heritage," with a textbook scheduled for publication soon.

"The 20th-century heritage is the closest to us," Zhang said. "It witnessed our country's transformation and modernization. Students living among these buildings must shoulder the responsibility to carry forward this legacy for future generations."

Xuan Feng, an associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, urged students to engage with heritage sites using all their senses rather than merely taking photos. Chongqing-based veteran architect Chen Gang stressed the importance of public engagement. He praised the exhibition's social media campaign on Xiaohongshu, organized by the students from North China University of Technology.

Associate Professor Qian Yi of Beijing University of Technology criticized the mismatch between current cultural relic laws and the living nature of 20th-century buildings. Routine upgrades of these sites, such as adding elevators, often face long delays as they are often managed as ancient cultural relics. He called for architects and urban planners to participate in drafting practical guidelines based on successful heritage vitalization cases.

Experts engage in a panel discussion during an academic symposium at the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, on May 10, 2026. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Professor Chen Li of Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture warned against urban aesthetic fractures and the loss of industrial heritage. He lamented that many historical districts in Beijing show stark contrasts between old structures and new high-rises, while old factories are often torn down or their equipment is stripped away, erasing their core historical value. He urged stronger protection for everyday buildings such as schools, housing, and factories.

Du Lindong, an assistant professor at Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, called for protecting and vitalizing ordinary 20th-century heritage sites before they are officially given heritage status, suggesting artistic interventions as starting points.

He cited two examples of art's power in vitalizing mundane heritage.

First, the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, a biennale founded in 2005 specifically focused on urbanization, has staged its exhibitions many times in the dense, vibrant urban villages within the southern metropolis of Shenzhen, prompting the local authorities to realize that the grassroots side of the city's miracle growth can be its valuable heritage with huge potential.

Second, Chinese artist Cao Fei's major multimedia research project Hongxia (HX) centers on the Hongxia Theater in Beijing's Jiuxianqiao area, a 1960s building with ties to early Chinese electronics, computer history and the surrounding industrial district. The internationally shown project has piqued wide interest in the early industrial heritage sites of New China and their fate amid rapid urban transformation.

Experts concluded that 20th-century heritage is abundant, everyday, and closely tied to national development. Conservation must reject both rigid freezing and unchecked commercialization. Through respect for authenticity, dynamic adaptation, public involvement, policy reform, and education, these buildings can move from academic study into people's lives, supporting urban renewal, enriching tourism, and strengthening national identity.

Keynote speaker Fan Xin [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An installation view of the photography exhibition Architecture Through Historical Lens at the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]