Guangzhou Consensus on Protection of Historical and Cultural Cities Released: Let's Create a New Future with History, and Pass on Our History to the Future

GUANGZHOU,China,June 21,2023 -- On June 19,the Guangzhou Consensus on Protection of Historical and CulturalCities,which embodies the consensus on the high-quality development of China'shistorical and cultural cities,was released at the Guangzhou Historical andCultural City Protection and Development Summit focused on New Vitality to theHistorical City.

On June 19,the release ceremony of the Guangzhou Consensus on Protection of Historical and Cultural Cities at the summit

Witnessed by more than 200 academicians,experts and media representatives,representatives from Nanjing,Jiujiang,Zhangzhou,Yangzhou,Langzhong,Foshan,Zhongshan and many other China's historical and cultural cities gathered at thesummit,and jointly shouted with Guangzhou's representatives: Let's worktogether to explore a new path for the people's well-being through mutualsupport and common progress. Let's create a new future with history,and passon our history to the future!

The Consensus pointed out that to understand China today,one needs to firstunderstand its history. Guangzhou,known as the millennial commercial capitaland the originating port of the Maritime Silk Road,is China's southern gatewayto the world. The city is home to melodious Cantonese Opera and distinct localcustoms,while the iconic Baiyun Mountain and the Pearl River have witnessedthe local people's ceaseless pursuit of maritime dreams over the past twothousand years. With a pioneering spirit,Guangzhou has upgraded its "Baiyun Mountain and Pearl River" urban pattern into a new framework of "mountain,water,city,farmland and sea". Meanwhile,it has established a systematic,innovative and fruitful mechanism in protection of historic city,fostering aninspiring environment for carrying forward the Chinese civilization.

The Consensus emphasizes that over the past four decades,the protection ofChina's historical and cultural cities has been steadily promoted. Culturalrelics are preserved and made "alive",and the old historical districts arestarting to thrive,injecting new vigor and vitality into the old city... Withinnovative mindset and after many twists and turns,we have explored a path tosuccess and achieved fruitful results. Yet there are still many new challengesand tests ahead.

The Consensus advocates that to take people's well-being as the starting pointand final goal,to make the city a memorable hometown for the people; to pursuedevelopment through protection and promote protection through development; toprotect the historical and cultural cities means to safeguard the genes andblood of the Chinese nation; to tell the stories of the historic city is totell the stories of China and so on.

According to the relevant person in charge of the Guangzhou Municipal Planningand Natural Resources Bureau,in recent years,Guangzhou has strengthened its planning leadership,compiled the famous city protection plan and the urban design of the historic city for 2035,and promoted the extensive participation of the whole society in the protection and development,formulated a five-year action plan for the protection of famous cities,vigorously promoted the activation of historical and cultural heritage,promoted the construction of digital cities and smart cities,taken into account the preservation of old cities and the construction of new cities. Not only inheriting and carrying forward the traditional construction wisdom and architectural art of Lingnan,but also striving to integrate into the new characteristics of the times,Guangzhou will encourage innovation,attach importance to the use of newtechnologies,new materials and new processes,and adhere to the connectionbetween the protection of famous cities and organic renewal.

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Caption: On June 19,the release ceremony of theGuangzhou Consensus on Protection ofHistorical and Cultural Cities at the summit