A Study of Cultural Heritage Protection and Urban Renewal Strategy: The City of Xi’an as an Example
Zhao Rong1, Wu Zhengzheng2
1.Collaborative Reasearch Centre for Archaeology of the Silk Roads, Xi'an 710127, China 2.School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
Abstract：In the context of cultural strategy in the new era，urban renewal emphasizes cultural heritage and local characteristics. How to protect and utilize cultural heritage in urban renewal will be an important challenge and a great opportunity for urban renewal in China nowadays. Neo-Marxism provides a new perspective for exploring cultural heritage preservation and urban renewal movements in China. Based on the Neo-Marxism theory, the paper will take the relationship between cultural heritage conservation and urban renewal in China as the research object, analyzing the production, multiplication, and expansion of capital over the past seventy years. It reflects on the characteristics of Chinese cultural heritage conservation and capital circulation at different stages of urban renewal in China, discussing the relationship of interest subjects, the transformation of values, and the development of times from a Neo-Marxist urban studies perspective. Meanwhile, the paper takes Xi’an as an empirical case to analyze the “four combinations” courses in the urban renewal. Taking the economic and social development of the city into account, Xi’an is promoting the protection and development of urban heritage in a categorized and hierarchical manner, striving to preserve the historical pattern and mark the reproduction of spatial elements from the perspective of the overall development of the city. Xi’an makes every effort to preserve the key sites and retain the city’s cultural DNA. Xi’an revitalizes and utilizes its unique heritage to enhance the cultural quality of the city. Xi’an respects the urban construction, improves the basic functions of the city, and forms a situation where the preservation of Xi’an’s cultural heritage and urban renewal complement each other. This paper points out that urban renewal in the new era returns to meeting people’s needs as its priority. Cities in the new era should be optimized in terms of urban planning concept, governance and social capital introduction. Optimization should focus on overall holistic planning, combining the city’s positioning, qualities and paths in regional development. Combining with the positioning, characteristics and paths of the city in regional development, this paper discusses the conservation mode and development direction of cultural heritage protection in urban renewal, promoting cities for characteristic development and creating urban cultural brands. Xi’an always adheres to the planning ideology of dividing the old from the new, integrating culture into industry and culture into life, fully activating the historical urban area, and integrating large site areas into modern urban life through archaeological site parks and other means, highlighting the cultural and ecological values of the city. Xi’an brings in high-quality social capital to help bring cultural heritage to life and drive the overall development of investment, tourism and business climate. Xi’an has made the improvement of the quality of people’s life as its primary focus, paying attention to the happiness of the old people, making the city more livable and people-oriented, and shaping a new urban spirit. Xi’an will realize the synergy of cultural heritage protection and urban renewal.
赵荣, 吴铮争. 文化遗产保护与城市更新策略研究[J]. 浙江大学学报(人文社会科学版), 2023, 53(4): 5-15.
Zhao Rong, Wu Zhengzheng. A Study of Cultural Heritage Protection and Urban Renewal Strategy: The City of Xi’an as an Example. JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY, 2023, 53(4): 5-15.
2023, Vol. 53 
