“When you go to Gusu to see you, everyone sleeps on the river. There is little idle land in the ancient palace, and there are many small bridges in the water lanes. ”
On April 20, during the rainy season, the reporter of “Rule of Law Daily” came to the ancient city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province with the theme publicity and interview group of the Central Propaganda Department’s “Cultural China Tour”. Whether it is the streets and alleys of Tongli Ancient Town with small bridges and flowing water, or the Pingjiang Historical and Cultural District adjacent to River Street, or the antique No. 32 neighborhood, you can feel the cultural charm of this 2,500-year-old city.
A Gusu city, half of the Jiangnan poems. Suzhou is the only city along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to be inscribed on the World Heritage List with the “Ancient City Concept”, and the first city in the world to be awarded the title of “World Heritage Model City”.
In the interview, the reporter learned that one of the main reasons why the ancient buildings and gardens of the ancient towns and streets of Suzhou can be well preserved and the cultural roots can be carried forward in a steady stream is that Suzhou gives full play to the legislative power conferred by the Legislation Law, pays attention to the legislative protection of the ancient city and ancient town and the long history and culture, so that the cultural roots continue to continue and continue to carry forward.
More than 20 laws and regulations protect cultural heritage
In the Pingjiang Historical and Cultural District, there is a replica of the “Pingjiang Map” (note: the original tablet was engraved in the Southern Song Dynasty and is now in the Suzhou Confucian Temple), which clearly shows the plane outline and street layout of ancient Suzhou. The city gates are arranged, the streets and alleys are vertical and horizontal, and the waterways are staggered, after the vicissitudes of time, the ancient city of Gusu today is basically the same as the overall layout in the “Pingjiang Map”.
In recent years, Suzhou has practiced “making the rule of law an important symbol of Suzhou’s core competitiveness”, and used the rule of law to ensure the better inheritance and development of ancient cities and ancient towns, as well as history and culture.
Measures for the Protection of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities and Towns in Suzhou, Regulations on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Suzhou, Regulations on the Protection of Ancient Villages in Suzhou, Regulations on the Protection of National Historical and Cultural Cities in Suzhou, Regulations on the Protection of Ancient City Walls in Suzhou, Measures for the Protection of Ancient Water Towns in the South of the Yangtze River in Suzhou, Measures for the Protection of Underground Cultural Relics in Suzhou…… Since obtaining local legislative power in 1993, Suzhou has successively formulated more than 20 local regulations and government rules, covering famous historical and cultural cities, ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, ancient villages, ancient buildings, Suzhou gardens, cultural relics, ancient trees and famous trees, Kunqu opera, intangible cultural heritage, Grand Canal culture, etc., promoting Suzhou to move towards the construction of a famous historical city in ancient and modern times.
In terms of protecting the ancient cities, ancient towns and ancient villages of Suzhou, which are rich in cultural heritage, Suzhou pays attention to establishing and improving a relatively complete protection system. At present, the relevant laws and regulations promulgated and implemented by Suzhou include the Regulations on the Protection of Suzhou National Historical and Cultural Cities, the Measures for the Protection of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities and Towns of Suzhou, and the Regulations on the Protection of Ancient Villages in Suzhou, forming three special legislations: ancient cities, ancient towns and ancient villages.
At the same time, it pays attention to the protection of distinctive local characteristic culture, and promulgates and implements the Regulations on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Suzhou City and the Regulations on the Protection of Kunqu Opera of Suzhou City.Local laws and regulations such as “Regulations on the Protection and Management of Ancient and Famous Trees in Suzhou”, “Regulations on the Management of Geographical Names in Suzhou”, “Regulations on the Protection of Ancient Buildings in Suzhou”, “Regulations on the Protection, Inheritance and Utilization of the Culture of the Grand Canal in Suzhou” and other local regulations have expanded the protection objects to cultural elements such as rivers and lakes, ancient and famous trees, folk customs, traditional operas, traditional skills, historical place names, dialects, and time-honored brands, and organically combined the dots, lines, and surfaces, reflecting the overall protection of the cultural city, which is conducive to maintaining and continuing the traditional pattern and historical features of the city.
Innovate legislation to design a forward-looking protection system
Located in Tongli Ancient Town, the Retreat Garden is a world cultural heritage, a national key cultural preservation unit, and a classic of private garden architecture in the late Qing Dynasty. The green waves in the park are rippling and antique, and strolling through it is like stepping into a natural ink painting. The beautiful scenery such as the old cold residence, the water town pavilion, the retreat thatched cottage, the sleeping cloud pavilion, and the overpass are the realism of “Modao garden is small, and how much do you know about the good scenery”.
In the interview, the reporter learned that in the process of repairing the Retreat Garden, Suzhou restored the historical appearance based on detailed historical materials. Maximize the use of original materials, preserve the original components, use the original technology, pay attention to the preservation and inheritance of traditional craft practices, preserve as much historical information as possible, and maintain the authenticity of cultural relics and buildings.
This kind of restoration principle of “not changing the original state of cultural relics” and “minimal intervention” is supported by the rule of law in Suzhou. Article 22 of the Measures for the Protection of Ancient Water Towns in the South of the Yangtze River in Suzhou (hereinafter referred to as the “Measures”) stipulates that “the repair of historical buildings and ancient buildings shall use raw materials and original craftsmanship. If the raw materials and original processes cannot be used and need to be replaced by new materials and new processes, the repaired part shall be marked and distinguished from the original part. It is understood that this provision is an innovation in local legislation, which puts forward higher standards and requirements for the protection of ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, which is conducive to the continuation of the authenticity of cultural heritage.
As the first local legislation on the protection of ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River in China, the Measures have created a new model for the overall protection of the constituent elements of the ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, and have effectively promoted the declaration of the ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces as world cultural heritage.
Strict protection and rational use are perfectly combined
Changyuan, a representative “small garden” in Suzhou, has introduced well-known hotel brands and integrated the old houses around the garden to build the whole – this practice of effectively stimulating market players to participate in the protection and renewal of the ancient city has achieved remarkable results in cultural protection and inheritance. In 2020, the No. 32 neighborhood where Changyuan is located was included in the pilot project for the renovation of old urban communities in Suzhou, and in 2022, it was selected as the first batch of urban renewal pilot projects in Jiangsu Province.
In recent years, while highlighting the comprehensive protection of immovable cultural relics and cultural heritage, Suzhou has advocated the rational use of immovable cultural relics, making them an important carrier for promoting excellent traditional culture.
On the one hand, by strengthening the legislative introduction.Guide the development of business forms, protect cultural heritage, and improve the environment. For example, in the Measures for the Protection of Ancient Water Towns in the South of the Yangtze River in Suzhou, it is encouraged to choose an appropriate economic development model according to the characteristics of the ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, and to publish a catalogue of industrial guidance, control and prohibition in accordance with the law and adjust it in a timely manner to prevent disorderly and excessive development.
On the other hand, Suzhou encourages social forces to work together to participate in the protection of local cultural relics and cultural dissemination. For example, the “Regulations on the Protection of Ancient Buildings in Suzhou” implements the concept of “not seeking everything, but seeking the location” to encourage better maintenance of ancient buildings; The Measures for the Protection of the Ancient Water Towns of Jiangnan in Suzhou stipulate that “local residents are encouraged to live, work and start businesses in the ancient towns” and that “the people’s governments of the towns where the ancient water towns of Jiangnan are located may give appropriate rewards to local residents who voluntarily wear water town costumes and display local folk customs, traditional etiquette, food culture and other daily life styles”.
For a long time, Suzhou has adhered to the principle that cultural development is for the people, cultural development depends on the people, and cultural achievements are shared by the people, and adheres to the perfect combination of strict protection and rational utilization, so as to promote the protection of cultural relics and cultural inheritance.
Author: Rule of Law Daily all-media reporter Zhang Hongbing Pu Xiaolei