Luoyang's preservation efforts revive ancient villages as cultural gems

China

Luoyang's preservation efforts revive ancient villages as cultural gems

2025-03-07 20:13 Last Updated At：20:37

The city of Luoyang in central China's Henan Province has spearheaded significant initiatives in safeguarding and revitalizing traditional villages, crucial components of social evolution and repositories of agricultural heritage.

In Sanhe Village, remnants of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties residences still stand strong, with three particularly well-preserved ancient homes showcasing China's traditional courtyard architecture. Through meticulous restoration and protection endeavors, the cultural legacy of these courtyards remains vibrant today. "By employing 'micro-innovation and minimal intervention,' we strive to maintain the traditional memories and nostalgia as a fundamental aspect of our protection efforts. During the revitalization and development phase, we integrate activities including artist residencies, old house reclamation programs, and vacant house exhibitions, which generate social benefits," said Yang Bo, a landscape and architect designer.

In 2016, Sanhe Village was a remote and impoverished area. After being designated as a key village for targeted poverty alleviation, the local government supported the establishment of a sketching base industry, allowing the village's natural ecological landscape to be fully utilized.

Now recognized as a "town of sketching," the village thrives on sketching tourism, boasting a 3A-level rural tourism scenic area. It has also been included in the sixth batch of traditional villages in the state protection list.

Meanwhile, other villages in the city have also gained development through protection and rejuvenation.

"In the coming steps, we will actively develop interconnected spaces for traditional villages that highlight agricultural and ecological cultural resources. By exploring various cultural resources, we aim to energize the regional village tourism market and foster the high-quality development of traditional villages in Luoyang," said Duan Xiaosheng, a staff member of the Luoyang Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau.

Luoyang's commendable preservation endeavors have culminated in the successful application for 104 provincial-level traditional villages, with 34 securing spots on the state protection list.

As the ancient capital of 13 Chinese dynasties, Luoyang boasts over 5,000 years of civilization and a history as a city spanning more than 4,000 years.

U.S., Iran should be encouraged to return to negotiating table for political settlement: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that both the United States and Iran have the willingness to resume negotiations, and the international community should encourage both sides to return to the negotiating table and seek effective ways for a political settlement.

China and Canada can jointly play a constructive role in this regard, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in a phone conversation with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand at the latter's request.

Anand briefed Wang on Canada's position regarding the situation in the Middle East, noting that Canada is committed to protecting civilians in the conflict, promoting de-escalation of the situation, preventing the spillover of the conflict, and reducing its impact on the global economy as well as industrial and supply chains.

The Iranian nuclear issue bears on the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and ensuring the safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is in the common interests of all parties, Anand said.

Canada stands ready to work with China to push for a ceasefire and promote regional peace and stability, she added.

Wang elaborated on China's principled position, saying that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved through dialogue and should not be a reason for the use of force.

The abuse of force will only lead to grave repercussions, and the spillover of the war will threaten regional security and stability, he said.

The two sides also exchanged views on China-Canada relations and agreed that they should implement the outcomes of Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to China with a positive and pragmatic attitude, resume dialogues at various levels, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and push for the stable and healthy development of the China-Canada new strategic partnership.