Geng Yanbo:Datong’s Scholarly Mayor

SPEAKING to Geng Yanbo, the new mayor of Datong, it is difficult not to be swept up by his enthusiasm for the history of his city.And it is that enthusiasm which a majority of the city’s residents agree also accounts for Geng’s unique approach to modernizing Datong while preserving its long cultural heritage. Looking about, the evidence of that commitment is everywhere, from the newly opened shops to the freshly paved roads. Since being transferred in March from Taiyuan to Datong to become acting mayor and deputy secretary of the Municipal Committee of the CPC, Geng has acted resolutely to turn this industrious coal town into a cultural showpiece.

Playing on a Larger Stage

In July, Geng was officially elected as mayor of Datong. The fifty-year-old is a native of Shanxi, and began his political career there. His masterpieces include the Wang Family Mansion and the Changs’ Manor tours, which have whetted the appetite of tourists for Datong’s rich tourism resources of human interest and greatly propelled the city’s travel industry.

A scholarly man, Geng has a profound knowledge of culture and history. Speaking at length, he expounded with a rare enthusiasm on the history of Northern Wei (386-534), when Datong was in its heyday. It is Geng’s enthusiasm for traditional culture that drives him to insist on protecting the cultural relics of his city while maintaining an enviable pace of construction.

Datong, the second largest city in Shanxi, is well-known as a coal city. But speak to the locals, and they will tell you they are far prouder of their 2,400-year history. As an important Buddhist town in China’s north, the city has an impressive collection of religious artifacts, which are as beautiful as they are spiritually significant.The Yungang Grottoes, for example, represent the peak of Chinese Buddhist grotto art. Other relics include the Hanging Temple, which is suspended from a high cliff, and the Nine-dragon Wall. Geng sees the city’s cultural and historical heritage as rich in potential. “It is a big market,” he said in his inaugural address.

The city has always been a coal base for the country, with proven reserves of over 380 trillion tons. But Geng is emphatic that just as important is the city’s cultural legacy. “Coal is a consumed resource, while culture can stimulate long-term development,” he says. His plan includes collecting the scattered fragments of the past and building up a cultural industry. Gesturing excitedly, Geng described how he plans to transform the city into a center of folk art, including papercutting, silk and clay figures, copperware, embroidery and sculptures. “The cultural industry should be another pillar industry in 10 years, next to the coal,” Geng says.

Cultural Economy

When planning an economy, urban construction demands a huge investment ― a headache for any government. But in a market economy, it also means high returns. That, in essence, is Geng’s theory on managing a city, and he has successfully applied it in a number of ways. “His past successes have relied on the interaction between protection and commercial operations,” folklorist Feng Jicai says. Now, Geng is eager to apply his theory on a larger stage.

Geng is a stickler for preserving and renovating the original look of Datong’s buildings. For one, the damaged old houses are being restored with authentic materials, some of which are salvaged from other houses of the same kind.

Another unique cultural treasure are the 53 caves of the Yungang Grottoes, represented by the 14-meter-high seated Buddha in front of Cave 20, which is considered a classic example of ancient sculpture.

To protect this heritage, Geng pushed forward a scheme to relocate a main road for transferring coal, with construction around the caves to be suspended, creating a spectacular scenic area.

“The protection of relics should be regarded as a source of wealth, not a burden,” Geng says. “The key is to develop cultural tourism ― to make a profit in the process of protection, and the profit allows further protection. That’s sustainable development.”

According to the municipal plan, Datong will build a new city as well as protect the old one. About RMB 15 billion will be needed. “The provincial government gives us great support, but a larger part is raised by ourselves.”

Geng bargains hard when buying raw material. As to raising capital, Geng has three methods ― one is to capitalize land, another is to make public services like roads and hospitals profit making enterprises, and the last one is to marketize public facilities.

And he continues to learn, soliciting the professional advice of specialists on ancient architectural protection.

Which is not to say Geng’s methods have not aroused their share of controversy, especially on the Internet. His supporters and critics have been arguing since he was in Lingshi. “When I decided to remove the old town of Lingshi, many people went to complain to the provincial government,” Geng says. But he insists he has no regrets.

He admits he has faced a great deal of pressure these last few years, but says he still believes in his approach to urban development. He summed up his philosophy simply: “Work with a high profile, but live with a low one.”