World Heritage Identification Number: 1002
World Heritage since: 2000
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Archaeological Sites
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇨🇳 China
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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Preserving the Past: A Journey Through Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun
The ancient villages of Xidi and Hongcun, nestled in the heart of southern Anhui province, offer a captivating glimpse into China's rich cultural heritage. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, these two traditional settlements have managed to maintain a remarkable degree of authenticity, preserving the essence of rural Chinese life from centuries past.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The two traditional villages of Xidi and Hongcun preserve to a remarkable extent the appearance of non-urban settlements of a type that largely disappeared or was transformed during the last century. Their street plan, their architecture and decoration, and the integration of houses with comprehensive water systems are unique surviving examples.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criteria (iii) : The villages of Xidi and Hongcun are graphic illustrations of a type of human settlement created during a feudal period and based on a prosperous trading economy.
Criteria (iv) : In their buildings and their street patterns, the two villages of southern Anhui reflect the socio-economic structure of a long-lived settled period of Chinese history.
Criteria (v) : The traditional non-urban settlements of China, which have to a very large extent disappeared during the past century, are exceptionally well preserved in the villages of Xidi and Hongcun.
Encyclopedia Record: Hongcun
Hongcun is a village in Hongcun Town, Yi County, Huangshan City in the historical Huizhou region of southern Anhui Province, China, near the southwest slope of Mount Huangshan.Additional Site Details
Area: 52 hectares
Number of Components: 2
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement
Coordinates: 29.90444444 , 117.9875
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© 颐园新居, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
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'Value in Change': What do World Heritage Nominations Bring to Chinese World Heritage Sites?
World Heritage listing transforms the values and meanings of Chinese heritage sites, primarily to align with UNESCO's Eurocentric criteria, but also augments local pride and cultural exchange. Contrary to fears that tourism commodifies heritage, this study finds that mass tourism can positively influence site values when locals engage in dialogue with visitors. Using case studies of West Lake (Hangzhou) and Xidi-Hongcun (Anhui), interviews with officials, managers, tourists, and residents revealed that while government-controlled tourism limits meaningful interactions, locally managed heritage tourism enhances cultural sharing. The research challenges assumptions about the negative impacts of tourism on heritage values, instead highlighting its potential to strengthen local identity and pride.
Zhang, R. (2016). 'Value in Change': What do World Heritage Nominations Bring to Chinese World Heritage Sites? The Australian National University. https://doi.org/10.25911/5D70F29F6AA8E
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