Authentic to the end?
- by Zhang Zixuan
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China Daily, November 15, 2011
Private versus public
But questions become murkier when considering where responsibility should fall when considering private versus public property.
"The government takes responsibility for repairing protected monuments, while residents should take care of their own houses," Jia says.
"But for some reasons - mostly family or ownership disputes and poverty - these residents aren't really doing it."
Some residents, Chai says, have modified their homes in such ways as installing large framed windows for better lighting.
Chai says this is understandable, although problematic.
"There are some conflicts between protecting the ancient city and improving residents' livelihoods," he says.
Expert Committee of National Historical and Cultural City Protection secretary general Wang Jinghui believes there must be compromises on this issue.
"Pingyao must be multifunctional so that it not only serves the needs of preservation and tourism but also of the people who call it home," says the 71-year-old, who is also the former deputy director of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development's urban planning department.
He believes preservation is not only to protect what has been built but also to document the dynamics of change throughout development's course - as long as the style remains consistent.
Residents such as 74-year-old Hao Tingshou, who has lived at No 4 West Wudaomiao his whole life, says many of the changes he has seen have made life better.
These include putting flagstones on the previously dirt roads, supplying water and electricity via underground pipes and wires, and generally improving local sanitation.
Jia adds that high-emission heavy industries have been relocated out of town.
The Diesel Engine Factory, for example, has been transformed into an art zone, hosting such events as the Pingyao International Photography Festival.
But industry isn't the only thing being relocated.
Residents, enterprises and government departments are also being moved out.
This is partly because the tourist influx has increased 48-fold since 1997 - growing from 24,000 that year to 1.15 million in 2010.
So, the local government has removed about 100 companies, government departments, schools and hospitals - in addition to shaving 15,000 residents off the local population tally of 50,000.
The relocation is ongoing, Jia says.
"The ideal number is about 20,000," he says.
Preserving local lifestyles
But the relocation could starve the local culture of its vitality if not moderated, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage's ancient architecture expert team Luo Zhewen warns.
The 87-year-old points to Yunnan province's Lijiang old town - also a World Heritage Site - as a place where this has happened.
"If the local people are gone, the local lifestyle dies," he says.
And residents like Hao say they don't mind using a public toilet for the rest of their lives.
His three cave dwellings indicate his poverty, but he says he doesn't want to leave them.
"Their structures are as strong as always," he says.
"I've never had to fix a leaky roof or do any kind of repair to my homes. And my friends all live here."
He rides his bicycle halfway across town to meet his old buddies at 2 pm every day for chats in the sunshine at the city wall's base.
His four grown children, however, have voluntarily moved into high-rises outside of the ancient city.
Hou Meiying, 70, says staying in her family's home, which has been in the family for 10 generations, is important to her bloodline's legacy.
The house is larger than others in the neighborhood and is perfectly preserved - that is, aside from the stone lion door statues and woodcarvings on a beam that were damaged during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).
"It has never had a single rat's hole throughout the years," Hou says.
"I'm not leaving."
Questions of commerce
Architecture scholar Chai believes concerns about Pingyao's over-commercialization are unfounded.
"It was flourishing businesses that gave Pingyao its place in history," he says.
"The shops aren't a problem, as long as they remain small."
Fan, the 79-year-old resident, agrees.
"The four main streets have been bustling since the city was born," he says. "The other areas have remained quiet and livable."
But Fan says the shops that are there now shouldn't be replaced by other businesses.
He recalls being displeased when a souvenir shop replaced a silk store, and a hotel took over the space previously occupied by a pharmacy.
But 22-year-old Hou Maodou, who has been working in the 100-year-old Changxing Shoe Shop for eight years, says he doesn't worry about over-commercialization.
Hou says the problem is the opposite - it's hard to make money, especially in the winter.
On the best days, Hou's shop can sell about 20 pairs of handmade cloth shoes at 50 yuan ($7.88) a set.
"It used to be that only rich people came here," he says.
"But now, most tourists are middle-class."
The service industry also struggles, unlicensed tricycle taxi driver Qiao Qiliang says.
The 37-year-old moved into the ancient city from a nearby village three years ago hoping to improve his income.
However, aside from during national holidays, he has found business to be slow, especially after the government started a transport system of electronic carts in 2009.
"But at least I can pay my son's tuition," Qiao says.
Chai says he retains hope for both the retention of the local culture and prosperity.
"Pingyao is a huge treasure," he says.
"It will continue to flourish as along as the city retains its authenticity."
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