Country for PR: China
Contributor: Xinhua News Agency
Wednesday, June 21 2023 - 17:49
AsiaNet
Guangzhou Consensus on Protection of Historical and Cultural Cities Released: Let's Create a New Future with History, and Pass on Our History to the Future
GUANGZHOU, China, June 21, 2023 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

On June 19, the Guangzhou Consensus on Protection of Historical and Cultural 
Cities, which embodies the consensus on the high-quality development of China's 
historical and cultural cities, was released at the Guangzhou Historical and 
Cultural City Protection and Development Summit focused on New Vitality to the 
Historical City. 

Witnessed by more than 200 academicians, experts and media representatives, 
representatives from Nanjing, Jiujiang, Zhangzhou, Yangzhou, Langzhong, Foshan, 
Zhongshan and many other China's historical and cultural cities gathered at the 
summit, and jointly shouted with Guangzhou's representatives: Let's work 
together to explore a new path for the people's well-being through mutual 
support and common progress. Let's create a new future with history, and pass 
on our history to the future!

The Consensus pointed out that to understand China today, one needs to first 
understand its history. Guangzhou, known as the millennial commercial capital 
and the originating port of the Maritime Silk Road, is China's southern gateway 
to the world. The city is home to melodious Cantonese Opera and distinct local 
customs, while the iconic Baiyun Mountain and the Pearl River have witnessed 
the local people's ceaseless pursuit of maritime dreams over the past two 
thousand years. With a pioneering spirit, Guangzhou has upgraded its "Baiyun 
Mountain and Pearl River" urban pattern into a new framework of "mountain, 
water, city, farmland and sea". Meanwhile, it has established a systematic, 
innovative and fruitful mechanism in protection of historic city, fostering an 
inspiring environment for carrying forward the Chinese civilization. 

The Consensus emphasizes that over the past four decades, the protection of 
China's historical and cultural cities has been steadily promoted. Cultural 
relics are preserved and made "alive", and the old historical districts are 
starting to thrive, injecting new vigor and vitality into the old city... With 
innovative mindset and after many twists and turns, we have explored a path to 
success and achieved fruitful results. Yet there are still many new challenges 
and tests ahead.

The Consensus advocates that to take people's well-being as the starting point 
and final goal, to make the city a memorable hometown for the people; to pursue 
development through protection and promote protection through development; to 
protect the historical and cultural cities means to safeguard the genes and 
blood of the Chinese nation; to tell the stories of the historic city is to 
tell the stories of China and so on.

According to the relevant person in charge of the Guangzhou Municipal Planning 
and Natural Resources Bureau, in recent years, Guangzhou has strengthened its 
planning leadership, compiled the famous city protection plan and the urban 
design of the historic city for 2035, and promoted the extensive participation 
of the whole society in the protection and development, formulated a five-year 
action plan for the protection of famous cities, vigorously promoted the 
activation of historical and cultural heritage, promoted the construction of 
digital cities and smart cities, taken into account the preservation of old 
cities and the construction of new cities. Not only inheriting and carrying 
forward the traditional construction wisdom and architectural art of Lingnan, 
but also striving to integrate into the new characteristics of the times, 
Guangzhou will encourage innovation, attach importance to the use of new 
technologies, new materials and new processes, and adhere to the connection 
between the protection of famous cities and organic renewal.

Source: Guangzhou Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau

Image Attachments Links:

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=441200

   Caption: On June 19, the release ceremony of the Guangzhou Consensus on 
Protection of Historical and Cultural Cities at the summit

Attachments
Release ceremony.jpg