Historical Architectures
(The author of the article is director of Tianjin Municipal Land Resources and Housing Administration, and head of the Office of Tianjin Municipal Protection Commission of Historic and Stylistic Architecture)
As one of the earliest cities in China in modern times to introduce the Western cultures, Tianjin City has created a city culture of its own with both the Chinese and Western characters, which produced many historic and stylistic constructions bearing a unique local feature. As a national famous historical and cultural city, Tianjin boasts so many historic and stylistic architectures of various styles as its distinctive symbol. Since the "Regulations on the Protection of Tianjin City's Historic and Stylistic Architecture" (hereinafter referred to as "Regulations") was put into force in 2005, a total of 746 buildings, totaling 1,140,000 sq.m., has been confirmed as historic buildings. These buildings are not only replete with events of humanity history of the city, but also condensed some important episodes of the Chinese modern history. They represent the styles and arts of architecture of a great number of foreign countries, becoming a rare treasury of architectural arts, in addition to tremendous values in terms of their social and economic effect. They are valuable historical and cultural heritages of the city, a city resource that cannot be reproduced.
1. A Review of the Protection of the Historic Architectures
Over the past years, under the leadership of the City Party Committee and Municipal Government along with the great support of all the circles in society, the mission of protection has been carried out and achieved remarkable results in the process of developing itself from the initial stage to a systematic project at the present. The main points are as follows.
A. Taking "Regulations" as the criterion to carry out the mission
On September 1, 2005, the "Regulations" came into force. It is a specific law worked out to govern the protection of historic constructions in China. Of the "Regulations", the articles concerning the removal of residents and instituting the system for keeping original drawings of constructions are the first of its kind in the legislation of the country. To implement the "Regulations", and carry out the duty entitled by it, the City Land Resources and Housing Administration (LRHA) has worked out a series of standardization "Regulations", so as to perfect the legal system in this field. In accordance with the "Regulations", LRHA has carried out such protective undertakings as issuing license of resident excavation, examining and approving repair and decoration applications, and severely dealing with saboteurs. Meanwhile, a special team for legally administrative management according to law was established to patrol and inspect the historic architectures of the city once a month and twice or three times a month in those key areas. The inspection rate reached 100%. The law enforcement file was set up. Each historic building has been taken photos in its status quo from different angles regularly. In recent four years, more than 40 law-violating cases have been investigated and punished. In accordance with the "Regulations", over 2,000 property right owners, managers and users of 746 historic buildings have been visited to publicize The "Regulations" in their face and have signed with them the Letter of Responsibility for Protecting Historic Buildings to effectively protect the historic buildings.
B. Instituting the Protection and Management System and Specifying the Relative Duties
In 2005, a number of working offices were established, including the City Historic and Stylistic Architecture Protective Committee, the Specialist Consultative Committee and the Redressing Co Ltd. for City Historic and Stylistic Architecture.
The leading and policy-making organization is the Protective Committee, with the city mayor as its director, and deputy mayor as its deputy director and the chief leaders of relative committees, departments and bureaus as its members.
The Specialist Consultative Committee consists of specialists and scholars from the sectors of planning, architecture, cultural relics, history, sociology, economics, culture, and the legal system. Its main task is to examine and verify such historic architectures and the area of such communities. It makes suggestions and proposals to the city authorities for the protection, development and utilization of historic architectures. Since its establishment, the committee has done a good and efficient job.
According to the "Regulations", the Redressing Co., Ltd. was founded, specializing in dealing with those affairs relating to evacuation of residents and redressing up old constructions. It is a sole state owned company.
C. Instituting the Technical Management System Under the Guidance of the Principle of Science and Technology Going First
The first thing to do is to institute a geographical information system. The data relating to the location, construction area, ownership of the real estate, present state of the construction, historical background, and photos shall be filed and stored up through a digital processing. The second thing to do is to compile and produce the protective drawings of the more than 700 constructions, which is required by the "Regulations". It is a pioneer job to make such a technical guide so as to protect each construction according to its specific conditions and requirements, involving basic data, present state of construction, original blueprints, and protection requirements. The third thing is to compile a technical code for construction protection and repair. The Code is made on the basis of the local technical standards of the city, providing technical basis for the protection of the constructions.
In 2009, to ensure the security of historic buildings, a security survey was performed by LRHA upon 510 historic and stylistic buildings without refurbishment (covering an area of over 840,000 sq.m.), and a security file was established for them, which has laid a solid foundation for future preservation and renovation.
D. Carrying out the Removal of Residents and Repairing the Buildings by means of Joining forces from various parties
To evacuate residents out of the buildings is one of the necessary steps to be taken. The vicissitude of times has brought many changes to historic buildings and constructions, resulting in the frequent changes of residents, or the number of tenants. Some historic building was first lent to a single tenant, and then to a number of tenants. Such a change of overuse of the constructions would have brought damages to them, let alone the worse living condition in the houses. To protect the house, it must evacuate the outnumbered tenants and completely repair it. By doing so, the living conditions in the house would greatly improve, hence making good use of its potential economic and cultural values is possible. Since October, 2005, the company has streamlined 41 historic buildings covering a total floor-space of 36,000 sq.m. Among them, the former residence of Pu Yi (the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty) — Garden of Serene has almost completed its removal plan and repairing. Only because the last emperor had lived there, the residence has surely produced a significant impact on the world. Before the removal of residents, 45 households occupied the garden, having brought serious damages to it, and the living environment was filthy and bad. After repair, it has become a showcase of the modern history of Tianjin. Since its official opening to the public in July 2007, Garden of Serene has received more than 300,000 tourists at home and abroad, and become a 3A national tourist attraction and Tianjin patriotic education base as well.
From 2008 to 2009, the municipal government gathered human and financial resources to conduct a rehabilitating renovation for more than 20 buildings that have particular significance in the history of Tianjin according to the principles of "rehabilitating, restoring the status quo, safe and applicable", including the Former Post Office of Qing Dynasty, the Former Kinchen Bank, the Former French Industry Bureau, the Former Russian Consulate, Main House of the West Railway Station in Tianjin, Aligan Church and the Former L'indo Bank of China. LRHA organized related departments and experts to study and demonstrate various renovation projects and rehabilitated these historic buildings with original materials and corresponding techniques. Their work has been recognized by the broad masses, experts and leaders. The renovated historic buildings have become a special medium to display the history and culture of Tianjin.
E. Developing the Protection of the Community of Historic Buildings by Means of a Comprehensive Streamlining and Management
Since 1999, the comprehensive streamlining and redressing of the quarters of historic constructions have been launched under the leadership of the city government. All those houses and constructions sitting along the street that were repugnant to the eye or built illegally were demolished. Some houses built along the street were repaired and streamlined. Some billboards and advertisements as well as networks of business stalls were redressed; in addition, the capital infrastructure constructions have been carried out. Through the redressing, such living quarters returned to their former appearance and promoted the level of their cultural taste and quality, winning a high appraisal from society. Presently, some quarters such as the Fifth Avenue and the One-Palace Garden have become important windows on the city. The Fifth Avenue community won a prize of "Exemplary Environment for Chinese People's Settlement" in 2004.
F. Reinforcing publicity and joining various forces to participate in protection mechanism
The sense of responsibility and enthusiasm of all sectors of society in protecting historic buildings have been fully motivated through reinforced publicity. In recent years, via newspapers, radio stations, TV stations and the Internet, Tianjin has widely publicized the policies and regulations and related knowledge of historic and stylistic building protection, which has drawn attention from more and more people to historic building protection and made them take part in it consciously.
The cooperation between administrative departments is strengthened. In order to accomplish the preservation of historic buildings, historical and cultural relics and historic and stylistic communities, the municipal administrative departments of historical and cultural relics and the planning department worked closely together. Meanwhile, the nationwide and international communication and cooperation have been strengthened. In 2007, the International Forum of Historic Building Protection and Sustainable Development was held. Delegates from France, the United States, Germany, Italy, Korea, as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan and some relevant provinces and cities of China attended the forum. When determining the direction of the works of historic and stylistic building protection and examining and verifying the renovation projects of important historic buildings, we invited experts and scholars from France, Italy and Korea and representatives of the public to participate so as to absorb and accept their valuable opinions and proposals.
2. Prospect of the Protection Work for the Historic and Stylistic Architecture
It has become the common consensus of Tianjin municipal committee of the CPC, Tianjin Municipal Government and people of the city to preserve the historic buildings, protect the historical and cultural features of the city and vigorously promote the protection of the well-known historic and cultural city and the historic buildings. The protection of Tianjin historic and stylistic buildings will be launched from the following three main aspects:
A. Three Systems Will Be Established and Perfected
1) A legal system will be perfected. Experience of the execution of the Regulations over the past four years tells us that further perfection of the legal system will benefit the protection of the historic constructions.
2) A multipurpose and long-term publicity and exchange system will be established, to perfect the protection mechanism of "government taking the leading role, consulting experts and participating by the public". A wide and consistent publicity of the Regulations will be launched and a multipurpose academic research and exchange system will be established, and advanced construction protection ideas and technology be absorbed, and experts and the public be introduced, so as to make the protection of historic buildings more scientific and democratic.
3) A system of protection funds characterized by "government taking the leading role and market operating" will be set up, so as to transfer the uniform government investment to the market operation mechanism, thereby materializing the fund for protection in a good recycle.
B. Further expanding the protection and supervision of historic buildings
The Drawing of Historic Building Protection Plans will be further perfected. A security file will be set up for each building based on the finished cartographic material and historical archives. At the same time, according to the requirements of urban planning, a regional protection and utilization plan will be drafted for each of the six historic and stylistic architecture zones so that the regional protection drawing and detailed administrative rules will be formed. The liability system and law enforcement system on the municipal and district levels will be perfected. The responsibilities of the property right owners, managers and users of historic and stylistic buildings will be further intensified so as to motivate the enthusiasm of the society towards historic building protection and realize the all-directional and blind-spotless protection of historic and stylistic buildings and regional environment.
C. Actively developing the protective utilization of historic and stylistic buildings
The renovation of key historic buildings will be continued in accordance with the principles of "rehabilitating, restoring the status quo, realizing protective utilization and organic updating to the times". As to the key historic buildings that are destroyed in earthquake, special refurbishment is launched to rehabilitate and restore the historic status quo. Besides protection, the study of the utilization after renovation will be conducted. A group of historical tourist attractions will be opened to the public which are worth of visiting, accessible and full of stories so that the protection can benefit more people.
Protection and utilization of the historic constructions occupy an important position in the city construction and development program. They embody the practice of building a city guided by the conception of developing in a scientific way, and of building a prosperous city with its historical heritage. It is an important and tough task for us. We are, under the leadership of the city Party Committee and municipal government, determined to protect historic constructions so as to display the city's unique resources, trying every possible means and under a unified planning with the support of all the circles in society, to make more contributions to the sustainable social and economic development of Tianjin City.
