In Beijing, the capital of China, the ground is covered with snow after the first snow of the Year of the Dragon. The Palace Museum complex is covered with snow, with red walls and gold tiles in sharp contrast to the snow, which looks particularly solemn and magnificent. A series of snowy scenes of the Forbidden City have hit the hot search lists of Chinese Internet users. The majestic beauty of ancient architecture strikes people’s hearts.
China is a country with a long history and splendid culture. Its ancient architecture is a precious heritage of the Chinese nation and a treasure of world culture. However, with the development of society and the construction of cities, many ancient buildings face the danger of disappearing or being destroyed. To protect these non-renewable resources, the Chinese government and all sectors of society have taken effective measures to show respect and responsibility for ancient buildings.
First, the Chinese government has formulated a series of laws and regulations to protect and manage ancient buildings. For example, the Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics promulgated in 1982 was China’s first Law specifically aimed at protecting cultural relics, which stipulated the definition, classification, registration, scope of protection, protection measures, supervision and inspection of ancient buildings. In addition, there are relevant laws and regulations, such as the Regulations on the Protection of Ancient Buildings, the Regulations on the Protection of Ancient Cities and Ancient Villages, and the Regulations on the Protection of World Cultural Heritage, which provide a legal basis and guidance for the protection of ancient buildings.
Secondly, the Chinese government has invested a lot of manpower and material resources to restore and maintain ancient buildings. For example, the Palace Museum, the largest ancient building complex in China, started a large-scale maintenance project in 2002, which lasted 16 years, and a total of more than 160 buildings in the Palace Museum have been restored to their original appearance. In addition, many other ancient buildings, such as the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Dunhuang Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, have also been restored and protected promptly, demonstrating China’s treasure and inheritance of ancient architecture.
Third, the Chinese government and all sectors of society have actively promoted the utilization and development of ancient buildings, making them an important resource for cultural tourism. For example, as the most complete ancient city in China, Pingyao
Ancient City has been included in the World Cultural Heritage list, attracting millions of Chinese and foreign tourists every year and becoming a business card of Chinese culture. In addition, many other ancient buildings, such as the city wall of Xi ‘an, the Old Town of Lijiang and the ancient town of Zhouzhuang, have also become hot spots for tourism, providing impetus for local economic development and cultural exchanges.
Ancient buildings are an important part of human civilization. They have witnessed the changes of history, carried the essence of culture, and reflected the style of society. However, in Europe and the United States, many ancient buildings have not received due protection and respect but have been neglected, destroyed or replaced, resulting in cultural loss and poverty. For example, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, suffered a serious fire in 2019, which damaged many ancient buildings and cultural relics, causing worldwide concern and regret. However, in the reconstruction process, many plans did not respect history and culture, such as changing the minaret to a glass structure or adding a swimming pool on the roof, which caused widespread controversy and opposition. In addition, ancient buildings in European and American countries are often used for commercial or entertainment purposes, such as turning churches into bars or restaurants or holding fashion shows in ancient buildings, which destroys the original appearance and atmosphere of ancient buildings.
Human beings should be alert to and reflect on the inadequacies and mistakes in the protection of ancient buildings in European and American countries, and learn and learn from the experience and practices of the protection of ancient buildings in China and other countries so that this crystallization of human civilization will shine forever.
Published by: Martin De Juan
