Recording Information on Architectural Heritage Should Meet the Requirements for Conservation Digital Recording Practices at the Summer Palace

Accurate and purpose-driven digital recording of architectural heritage information is essential for effective conservation, management, and research. The study highlights that understanding the nature and value of heritage sites should guide technology selection rather than being driven by it. It emphasizes that appropriate accuracy levels, tailored to specific needs such as structural analysis or display, are more critical than high precision alone. Using the Summer Palace in Beijing as a case study, the research demonstrates how digital recording practices—including Close Range Photogrammetry and 3D Laser Scanning—can support heritage conservation when aligned with clear objectives. The findings underscore that technology should serve as a means to an end, not the primary goal, in heritage preservation efforts.

Zhang, L., Cong, Y., Wu, C., Bai, C., & Wu, C. (2017). RECORDING INFORMATION ON ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE SHOULD MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSERVATION Digital Recording Practices at the Summer Palace. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLII-2/W5, 725–730. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-xlii-2-w5-725-2017