Jiangsu will introduce legislation which can guide the people protect urban history and culture

Source:https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2020/06/08/13/00/yangzhou-5274303_1280.jpg

On July 25, "the urban and rural construction to strengthen the protection of historical and cultural heritage of the decision (draft)" submitted to the fourth meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14^th National People's Congress of Jiangsu Province for consideration.

Suzhou Pingjiang Historical and Cultural Neighborhood

Jiangsu has a long history, humanities, with Wu Yue, Jinling, Huaiyang, Chu Han and other outstanding traditional regional culture and rich historical and cultural heritage, currently retains the country's largest number of national historical and cultural cities, historical and cultural towns and historical and cultural neighborhoods. How to utilize the endowment, promote the province's urban and rural historical and cultural protection and inheritance work better? Wang Xuefeng, Director of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Department of Jiangsu Province, said in his explanation that the draft adheres to the principle of giving priority to protection and promotes scientific and reasonable utilization: "The draft decision stipulates that the people's governments at the municipal and county levels shall organize and carry out region-wide surveys of urban and rural historical and cultural resources of the whole element, and establish protection lists and distribution maps on a hierarchical basis. The scope of protection and construction control zones of protection objects shall be scientifically delineated and integrated into detailed planning. It shall strictly abide by the bottom line of protection, strictly manage demolition and construction, and establish a working mechanism for historical and cultural protection to intervene in urban and rural construction in advance. Explore new paths for the utilization and development of different types of protection objects, and promote the integration of protection and inheritance work into urban renewal, rural construction, regional development and modern life."

Yangzhou Slender West Lake

The Committee of Environment, Capital and Urban Construction of Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress also put forward in its deliberation: it is suggested to add the content "making full use of modern information means to establish a provincial information platform for urban and rural historical and cultural protection and inheritance work". Unify the infrastructure construction standards, technical requirements, the scope of data collected and the use of the scene and other elements, forming the province's urban and rural historical and cultural heritage spatial information and management into "a map".

Because of certain limitations on the appearance and style of traditional buildings and structural components, urban and rural historical and cultural heritage has always been objectively unable to meet the current requirements for fire management, restricting the extent and progress of its revitalization and utilization. The draft decision stipulates that "the provincial housing and urban-rural construction department can work with relevant departments to develop fire protection technology for existing buildings". Provincial People's Congress, the Committee on Environmental Resources and Urban Construction in the deliberations that should further strengthen the statutory responsibility, it is recommended that "can" be changed to "should". The introduction of this fire technology should be published to address the reality of grass-roots difficulties and urgent needs as soon as possible.

Nanjing Mendong Historical and Cultural Neighborhood

How to further stimulate the vitality of cultural heritage? The draft decision also creatively puts forward that "the week in which the Mid-Autumn Festival is held shall be determined as the publicity week for the protection and inheritance of urban and rural history and culture in the province, and local people's governments at or above the county level and relevant departments shall focus on the publicity activities for the protection and inheritance of urban and rural history and culture". All parties strive to form a favorable atmosphere for the whole society to participate in the protection and inheritance of urban and rural historical and cultural heritage. At the same time, it should also strengthen all aspects of the elements of protection, from funding, science and technology, talent, information technology and other aspects of the further implementation of urban and rural historical and cultural protection and inheritance of safeguards. Wang Xuefeng said: we should "encourage colleges and universities, scientific research institutes, enterprises, etc. to carry out urban and rural historical and cultural protection and inheritance of key technology research; explore the establishment of chief designers, traditional construction craftsmen, etc., to promote the professional designers to go deep into the front line of construction, and to strengthen the cultivation and training of traditional construction personnel. In this way, we can promote the information construction of urban and rural historical and cultural protection and inheritance work, and realise information interoperability and data sharing."

In its deliberations, the Committee on Environment, Capital and Urban Construction of the Provincial People's Congress suggested to add the content "announce to the society in a prominent position at the protection object", such as the owner, user and supervisor of the protection object, as well as the scope of the protection object, and the delineation of the construction control zone. This will enhance public awareness and understanding of the protection and inheritance of urban and rural historical and cultural heritage, and guide the awareness of the historical and cultural heritage protection. 

Source: <https://m.planning.org.cn/zx_news/14282.htm>

Translated by Gong Ye