The Architectural Guardian

Save the Ancient Houses

As one of the first trading ports in China， Guangzhou continued to serve as an international trade zone even after the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911） closed the country off to the rest of the world. Due to its history， Guangzhou was left with myriad architectural styles such as arcades that adapt to the weather， houses blending Western and Chinese features and typical European buildings.

When he was young， Guangzhou native Liu Weilun traveled a lot. Ultimately， however， he ended up settling down in Guangzhou， where he decided to take action to protect its ancient buildings. In April 2012， Liu founded the Guangzhou Civil Cultural Relics Protection Association which has attracted over 1，000 members. Though not an officially sanctioned organization and lacking financial support， salaried staff and offices， the group has shown enthusiasm and commitment in droves. After he gets off his job at a vocational school， Liu spends most of the weekend looking for ancient buildings with his group， which they dubbed “street sweeping.”

Two years ago， Liu was mesmerized by the sight of a two-story building in a lane embraced by newly-built apartment blocks in Shafeng Village. Roman pillars supporting the second-floor balcony drew him closer to the house to have a look.

Staring up at the house from the dim corridor， Liu witnessed what he expected to see： Sun rays filled the room through windows and glass tiles on the roof. The door frames in each room were decorated with delicate carvings featuring traditional Chinese or Western still life paintings. The central hall was accented by square Roman pillars.

Migrant construction workers were using the house as a temporary shelter， so it was in disarray. Neighbors also had no idea who owned the building， but Liu was persistent. He attempted to draw more public attention to the ancient building by inviting local media to report about it.

According to Chinese national regulations， historical buildings not classified as cultural relics are still protected by law. In March 2012， the Guangzhou municipal government requested a plan for protecting Guangzhou’s historic districts be ready by the end of the year， after waiting nine years. At the same time， a directory of historical architecture would also be compiled and released.

Can’t Wait

Still， Liu Weilun is not optimistic about the directory. One official revealed to him privately that the list of ancient buildings grew much longer than expected， begging the question， “Where is the money for so many old buildings？”

But for Liu， the most pressing problem was preserving ancient buildings before the list was finished. During the wait， many old houses were already being demolished and replaced by new buildings. Also， many former residences of celebrities were facing a wrecking ball.

When he visited the old building in Shafeng Village for the third time， Liu finally met its owner， Mr. Gao， who revealed he bought the house 30 years ago for 300，000 yuan （US$48，150）. If he had the funds， he would raze the house and build a new one. According to him， lots of old buildings could be found in Shafeng Village， which were gradually being replaced by new houses， especially in recent years.

“Your house is tremendously valuable，” Liu insisted， trying to persuade him to give up the idea of tearing it down. The owner shrugged off Liu’s plea with a wave of his hand and a shake of his head.

Liu Weilun is used to such reactions. Even though most citizens support Liu and his members’ efforts， opposition has emerged. Some owners don’t want protec-tion. If the houses are demolished， they can receive a handsome sum for compensation， which is far more valuable to them than nostalgia of an outdated structure.

The government should learn from Hong Kong， opines Professor Tang Guohua at the Architecture and Urban Planning School of Guangzhou University. In Hong Kong， historical property owners can apply for preservation funds from the government if their houses need repair， while the government doesn’t need to invest a lot in routine maintenance.

Public Awareness

Despite all the headwind， Guangzhou has seen a successful protection case.

In August 2009， a ‘red villa’ from the 1930s was spotted on a demolition notice issued by Guangzhou municipal department of housing management. The roof of the two-story building features a ‘big slope’ which is hardly found in the city. Historical records show that the house represents the typical dwelling of the city’s model residential community built during the Republic of China period （1912-1949）. The villa features rural British flavor， along with great historical and architectural value.

Demolition aimed to make room for a cafeteria expansion at a neighboring middle school. At that time， Guangzhou Civil Cultural Relics Protection Association didn’t exist yet， but many future members helped circulate a petition to save the old house.

Media also aided the campaign， complemented by support from people of all walks of life. Ultimately， the ‘red villa’ was not only saved， but also added to the protected cultural relics list of Yuexiu District of Guangzhou.

Professor Tang believes public opinion is very important for historical architecture protection. “In European countries， the preservation of old structures is a general consensus，” Tang notes. In this respect， Guangzhou has fallen behind. “We better follow Hong Kong. Old buildings that everyone agrees are valuable can’t be torn down. We need time to discuss policy. Effective regulation takes time and a step-bystep approach. But often， during the wait， the buildings are demolished. In order to better protect old houses， the government could compensate the property owner fairly.”

Liu Weilun and his allies keep a notebook full of information related to the old buildings they find. “We’re planning to draw a map of old buildings for the Guangzhou Municipal Urban Planning Office，”Liu explains. “By referencing this map， new construction can be planned around old buildings.” His group hopes that public opinion will play a role in the future of Guangzhou’s city planning.