How Are Historical Villages Changed? A Systematic Literature Review on European and Chinese Cultural Heritage Preservation Practices in Rural Areas

Abstract

Background: In the past century, the importance of historical villages has been highly recognized, as they serve aesthetic, functional, and environmental values and can foster local socioeconomic development through the heritagization process. The purpose of this paper is to outline the core features of the preservation and management of historical villages in the European and Chinese contexts. Methods: Using a qualitative systematic literature review, the research was based on international academic papers covering 73 case studies from the two contexts, addressing the fact that little work has been carried out comparing European and Chinese realities. Results: Similarities and differences in rural cultural heritage preservation and management between Europe and China were compared and discussed, paying particular attention to historical villages in both contexts. Using this method, rural heritage preservation in China can be better framed and analyzed for scholars engaged in both the Chinese and international contexts. Conclusions: Inspired by the European case studies, the research suggests that capacity building of different types of stakeholders, contextualized financial mechanism and multiple values the civic society perceived and recognized during the Chinese rural heritage preservation and management process should be further studied and implemented case by case based on a historical-sensitive approach. In addition, the issue of the lack of social capital and policy arrangements in rural areas should be further addressed to stimulate community resilience.

Research on Historical Value Evaluation and Protection Strategies of Traditional Courtyards in Yulin Ancient City, Shaanxi Province, China

“…From the perspective of architecture, the main structures or maintenance structures of most single buildings are damaged, and there are also alterations that are not consistent with the original appearance, and even dangerous houses exist [63][64] . The protection and renovation of historical buildings should focus on maintaining their authenticity, coordinating urban development, and protecting their uniqueness [65][66] . Therefore, it is recommended to carry out the maintenance and repair work of ancient buildings immediately, appropriately protect and repair them, and prevent them from being demolished, newly built or destructively renovated by users [67] .…”

Social assessment of the paradigm of multifunctional rural development – A case study of the Mazowieckie voivodeship

“…The environmental function covers a broad range of environmental benefits such as recreational values of rural space and preservation of the aesthetic values of rural landscape (Molnárová et al, 2017), preservation of biodiversity and protection of the natural environment (Ślusarczyk, 2019), preservation of rural cultural heritage (Mu & Aimar, 2022;Wilczyński, 2005).…”

Spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of traditional villages based on geodetector: Jiarong Tibetan in Western Sichuan, China

“…For two, environment damage and the rise of tourism economy have led to hollowing out, aging and homogenization of villages 17 . Third, community participation, public interest organizations, and local businesses are far less vocal under the current conservation system 18 .…”