Towards a Holistic Narration of Place: Conserving Natural and Built Heritage at the Humble Administrator’s Garden, China

A holistic approach to heritage conservation, integrating diverse narratives and intangible values, can reconcile the tensions between preservation and commercialization at World Heritage Sites like the Humble Administrator’s Garden (HAG) in Suzhou, China. This study reveals that HAG’s heritage is shaped by both expert interpretations and visitors' personal experiences, leading to a multivocal space where literati culture is reinterpreted through modern lenses. By employing mixed-methodologies—archival research, semi-structured interviews with management, and visitor journals—the research demonstrates how narrative representation can unify architecture and landscape, offering a model for more inclusive conservation practices that prioritize intangible heritage and silent stakeholders in similar sites.

Ren, Y., & Djabarouti, J. (2023). Towards a Holistic Narration of Place: Conserving Natural and Built Heritage at the Humble Administrator’s Garden, China. Architecture, 3(3), 446–460. https://doi.org/10.3390/architecture3030024