GHF Field Progress Report

Overview
Pingyao Ancient City in Shanxi, China, is considered to be the first banking capital of China and was the central bank for much of the Silk Road trade during the Ming (14th–17th centuries AD) and Qing (17th–20th centuries AD) dynasties. Pingyao Ancient City is one of the last remaining intact examples of traditional Qing Dynasty architecture.

Attesting to its significance, the city of Pingyao is one of only two Chinese ancient cities with UNESCO World Heritage status, but with over 40,000 low-income residents living within its ancient walls, the city’s historic district and its famed courtyard houses are facing unprecedented pressures and deterioration.

To address these issues, GHF is working in partnership with Shanxi Province authorities to create a multi-year effort for conservation of the area’s most endangered and priceless archaeological and cultural heritage features. In addition, attempts to promote economic opportunities for the surrounding poor communities are also being pursued through the development of sustainable tourism. By providing critically needed planning, funding, and expertise, GHF has enabled Shanxi Province to secure matching funding from the central Chinese government.

Project Partners

• Shanghai Tongji University, Department of Urban Heritage and Planning
• Tsinghua University, Department of Architecture
• Shanxi Institute of Historic Preservation

Recent progress highlights include:

• Completion of documentation and conservation plans for two courtyard houses
• Restoration of four structures within one of the courtyards
• Documentation completed for all courtyards in Fanjia Ji district
• Four-day workshop on conservation techniques, led by GHF Director of Conservation John Hurd and China Program Manager Kuanghan Li, for 40–60 staff from the Pingyao Planning, Cultural Heritage and Tourism bureaus.

We formally launched the China Heritage Program in 2008, with the hiring of a GHF China Program Manager. Ms. Kuanghan Li is a University of Penn trained preservation architect who has worked in France, China and Tibet. Since she joined in April 2008, our China Heritage Program has experienced significant progress, with Pingyao Ancient City advancing in training, planning and restoration.

Training began with a field study in the Bay Area for the three leading government partners in Pingyao, followed by a Pingyao-based Conservation Training Course that was led by GHF.  This was the first training of its kind to take place in Pingyao Ancient City, and was aimed at raising awareness of conservation concepts, principles and techniques in the local conservators, planners, government partners and tourism industry workers who have direct responsibility in the conservation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Restoration on one of the courtyard buildings in the GHF program has begun and is proceeding smoothly.

 
Above: GHF-led training workshop for cultural heritage and tourism professionals in Pingyao.

Pingyao’s first Master Conservation Plan, funded by GHF and executed by the prestigious Shanghai Tongji University, is scheduled for final approval in January 2009. This critical tool will provide the legal assurance for appropriate and authentic restoration in the Ancient City, as well as provide the management plan for the necessary structure to ensure its preservation goals. GHF is deeply involved in providing recommendations and ensuring high quality monitoring and implementation across the ancient city’s UNESCO World Heritage areas.

In 2009, we plan to continue restoration of courtyard buildings, hold an expanded conservation course, launch the interpretation plan as well as commission an environmental study to explore drastically reducing coal usage inside the Ancient City. Pingyao is located in Shanxi Province, which provides 40% of China's coal supply. Our goal is to minimize coal usage and enhance the air quality to benefit its local residents, its tourism industry, and create sustainable jobs for those in the Ancient City. 

GHF Pingyao Program Backgrounder
The Pingyao County Government and Global Heritage Fund (GHF) are undertaking a collaborative effort to better preserve the cultural heritage of Pingyao ancient city in more comprehensive and systematic approaches as part of the integrated planning, conservation and development program.

   Above and Below:  Ruins of a neglected Qing Dynasty Courtyard in Pinyao. Years of neglect lead to eventual total loss of the historic architecture.
   

The program includes 4 main components:
1) survey and document both tangible and intangible cultural resources;
2) preserve the vernacular architecture and historic cityscape;
3) revitalization of traditional arts and crafts and development of unique local products;
4) drafting of interpretation plan to help provide visitors with new and engaging experience and interpretation of the history of Pingyao

At the same time, a city-wide cultural resources survey and traditional courtyard documentation was conceived and carried out collaboratively with the Shanxi Urban and Rural Planning Society. 

The China Heritage Program also hosted a summer internship program. Simao Ye, a graduate student in conservation from Hong Kong University participated and helped develop the survey form for the cultural resources survey.  George Qiao, a graduate student in Chinese History from Stanford University helped to conduct research for the interpretation plan and drafted preliminary recommendations on interpretation methods of various ticketed sites in Pingyao.  They have respectively decided to pursue their master thesis and PhD dissertation topics relating to their internship experiences in Pingyao.

A historic district, Fanjia Jie, was identified as an area with intact traditional streetscape and ensemble of historic courtyard residences dating from the Qing to early Republic periods.  Documentation of all courtyards on this street has been completed and a work plan is in progress. 

In Oct-Nov. 2008, GHF Director of International Conservation, John Hurd, arrived in Pingyao and co-run a 4 day training workshop with Kuanghan Li for 40-60 ground staff from the Pingyao Planning Bureau, Cultural Heritage Bureau and Tourism Bureau.

Pingyao attracted much attention after the release of Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s acclaimed 1992 film Raise the Red Lantern, which was shot in the Qiao Compound near the ancient city, and prominently featured its distinctive Qing dynasty courtyard architecture.  Pingyao’s profile rose again after receiving UNESCO World Heritage designation in 1997.  From a base of 150,000 visitors in 1997, Pingyao receives over 1 million visitors annually today.  More than 90% of the visitors are domestic Chinese, with others made up of Europeans, Americans and other Asians.

Under the direction of Professor Shao Yong from the prestigious Shanghai Tongji University’s Urban Planning School, the master conservation plan addresses the most pressing development issues of the Ancient City.  Total measurement, mapping, documentation, population survey, and threat assessment of the city have been completed.  The final plan includes a comprehensive site conservation plan, budget, and milestones for the protection and restoration of Pingyao Ancient City. New legal and regulatory protection, and innovative private-public conservation and development are imperative outcomes of the plan.

In addition, GHF is co-funding the master planning and authentic restorations the best examples of Qing Dynasty courtyard buildings with local families. In addition, GHF is aiming to establish new artisan complexes with the ancient city’s communities. 

Although it was once the banking capital of China, Ping Yao’s current economy is
largely agricultural, including products like grains and cotton.  The average annual income for Pingyao County residents is less than $100 a month. 

Responsible tourism development provides compelling opportunities for the Ancient City’s residents to work and live in Pingyao while preserving its heritage, and maintaining the city’s social and family structure.
 
A great disparity in development currently exists between the main tourist streets in the core of the Ancient City and those outside the core.  While the total visitor figure is significant, many of the residents living in courtyards away from the core area are unable to participate in the growing economic opportunities from increasing tourism activities.  
 
Many tourists who visit the Ancient City only buy a ticket to enter the core area, visit a few sites, eat lunch, buy a few trinkets and then leave.  The average stay per tourist is 2 to 3 hours.  GHF is working with Pingyao County to reverse this trend, extend the duration of visitation and quality of experience, and attract visitors with deeper interest in arts and culture. This will help increase the level of revenue capture by a broader base of local residents.
 
The Pingyao Cultural Heritage Development Program is part of Global Heritage Fund’s greater China Heritage Program, established in 2005 to help save some of China’s most important historic heritage sites from destruction. 
 
The Pingyao Cultural Heritage Development Program aims to preserve the vernacular architecture, revitalize and stimulate the traditional arts, and establish special historic areas. 

The program is restoring Ming and Qing dynasty courtyards for adaptive reuse, conduct classes in traditional crafts and building methods, and provide training for the management of cultural resources in Pingyao Ancient City.
 
A representative historic area, Fanjia Jie, has been selected, and will be the first cluster of historic residences to be restored for both public and private uses as a model.  This is an area with intact traditional streetscape and an ensemble of historic courtyard residences from the late Qing Dynasty to the Early Republic period.  This historic area, with its outstanding courtyards, will form a vibrant, inner circle of arts and cultural offerings within the walls of the ancient city.   
 
The courtyards in the Pingyao Cultural Heritage Development Program will be authentically restored and adapted for public and private uses.  Private homes can serve as model residences to inspire other owners to faithfully restore and maintain their courtyard homes.  Public uses may include:   

 
Local Craftsman

• Living heritage workshop 
• Artist studio
• Performing arts center
• Museum
• Training school offering courses in foreign languages, heritage interpretation 
• Culinary workshops
• Building crafts studios on traditional techniques such as stone, wood and brick carving
 
Living heritage workshops where visitors can participate in and observe the creation of traditional crafts and specialty products such as lacquerware, artisanal foods, papercutting, cotton shoemaking, calligraphy and fine arts.  

In some of the larger historic courtyards, visitors can take beginner workshops or master classes to immerse themselves in the arts and cultures of Pingyao.  
 
The Pingyao Heritage Development Program is supporting the training for the remaining skilled craftspeople and artisans to pass on and preserve Pingyao’s unique living heritage of arts, crafts, cuisines and performing arts to the next generation.  This integrated, sustainable program addresses the economic imbalance of the current tourism landscape, as well as preserves the last remaining endangered historic courtyards and living arts and cultural heritage, thereby realizing the authenticity and character of Pingyao Ancient City.
 
Expected Outcomes
The Pingyao Cultural Heritage Development Program is providing the foundation to preserve and maintain the outstanding vernacular architecture, revitalize the ancient arts and crafts and stimulate the local community.  The program is increasing the stake for local residents in preservation, attracting visitors who appreciate art and culture, and expanding the tourism-related economic activities beyond the current limits of 3-4 main streets. 
 
The Heritage Development Program is expected to increase the sales of Day Passes by visitors.  It will create new cultural and economic opportunities for Pingyao, meeting the needs and expectations of the next level of tourists, and resulting in extended stays in Pingyao to participate in arts and cultural workshops in the restored courtyard buildings of the special historic areas.