old building disappear in china2
25 September 2013
Old Buildings Disappearing in China
As is well known, China is a country with a long history and has rich and varied heritage. Many ancient architectures and old buildings are typical examples of the country’s precious resources. However, it seems like that Chinese people are losing their historical blocks under the steamroller of modernization. We cannot deny the fact that China has dramatically changed in the decades since Deng Xiaoping initiated his reform and opening-up policy, but some leaders of the government misunderstand the meaning of “reform”. In their opinion, the only way to modernize China is to "destroy the old and build the new." Due to many unreasonable urban planning made by the office, including rebuilding ancient sites, overdeveloping the real estate and doing some showcase projects, China’s historical sites are vanishing faster than the eye can see them.
Many local governments in China prefer to attract more international and nationwide visitors and enhance its visibility by rebuilding their cultural and architectural legacies and equipping those new buildings with modern convenient facilities. For example, the city of Shiyan in Hubei province, where the Wudang Mountains are, rebuilt the original villages under the mountain into a fake old-style street called “ the golden street”, selling some souvenirs of low quality at a high price. Visitors from big cities are very disappointed when they see all these gorgeous buildings, which are far away from their original look and become a commercial shopping place, because they expect that they can experience the peaceful and simple atmosphere of the famous Taoist temple in Wudang. Instead of rebuilding everything of the historical sites, protecting and fixing the old buildings can be better ways to realize the modernization.
Another factor related to the disappearance of old buildings is the overdevelopment of real estate. According to some economics scholars, many local
Old Buildings Disappearing in China
As is well known, China is a country with a long history and has rich and varied heritage. Many ancient architectures and old buildings are typical examples of the country’s precious resources. However, it seems like that Chinese people are losing their historical blocks under the steamroller of modernization. We cannot deny the fact that China has dramatically changed in the decades since Deng Xiaoping initiated his reform and opening-up policy, but some leaders of the government misunderstand the meaning of “reform”. In their opinion, the only way to modernize China is to "destroy the old and build the new." Due to many unreasonable urban planning made by the office, including rebuilding ancient sites, overdeveloping the real estate and doing some showcase projects, China’s historical sites are vanishing faster than the eye can see them.
Many local governments in China prefer to attract more international and nationwide visitors and enhance its visibility by rebuilding their cultural and architectural legacies and equipping those new buildings with modern convenient facilities. For example, the city of Shiyan in Hubei province, where the Wudang Mountains are, rebuilt the original villages under the mountain into a fake old-style street called “ the golden street”, selling some souvenirs of low quality at a high price. Visitors from big cities are very disappointed when they see all these gorgeous buildings, which are far away from their original look and become a commercial shopping place, because they expect that they can experience the peaceful and simple atmosphere of the famous Taoist temple in Wudang. Instead of rebuilding everything of the historical sites, protecting and fixing the old buildings can be better ways to realize the modernization.
Another factor related to the disappearance of old buildings is the overdevelopment of real estate. According to some economics scholars, many local