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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=KYODO JBN/--

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

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   Caption: On June 19, the release ceremony of the Guangzhou Consensus on Protection of

Historical and Cultural Cities at the summit