Longguang Pagoda stands high as an icon of Huishan Ancient Town in Wuxi, Jiangsu province. CHINA DAILY
Ancient charm coexists with modernity in this 3,000-year-old city, Douglas Dueno reports.
Cities always develop and change, but not always in the direction that makes them more culturally unique. To preserve or not to preserve — that is the cultural problem. Explore any new city, and one can see that urbanization often creates landscapes filled with visual faux pas, whitewashed by demanding modernism.
However, a city's reluctance to modernize may lead to the demise of its future development. It's a complex, delicate problem. But if the decisions are made right, cities can be lovely places to live and work, where wealth and culture coexist.
As China modernizes rapidly, its cities are facing exactly that challenge. Showcasing one such city can showcase all of China to the world.
Wuxi, situated on the banks of the Taihu Lake in Jiangsu province, is living proof of the old adage "if you want to know a nation, walk its streets" and is exemplary of China's past and present.
The city is well-known for its scenic beauty, lush gardens, parks and historical landmarks. It has a unique cultural legacy passed down through the generations that has been preserved even with the heavy modernization of recent years.
While the city has undergone substantial changes, it's still possible to find vestiges of its antiquity if you know where to look.
The old city walls are poignant reminders of the city's long and storied history.
During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), a time of warring states after the collapse of the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256 BC), Wuxi was once home to the capital of the Wu Kingdom, one of many kingdoms battling for supremacy.
Growing over these ancient roots is a contemporary Wuxi which is bustling, active and thriving, modernizing while preserving its heritage.
Wuxi has all the amenities and features you'd expect from a major metropolis — universities, cafes, metro stations, manufacturing and supply chain networks, and airports that connect it to the world.
Though Wuxi is part of China's remarkable transformation, visitors still have the sense in the city that there is an organic connection to the Chinese past.
There are numerous temples and historical sites to explore, as well as museums, galleries and concert halls showcasing traditional Chinese culture, art and opera.
Wuxi has never been stagnant. It has been continuously evolving over three millennia, and recent developments are just part of that bigger picture.
Cultural legacy
Huishan Ancient Town, situated at the foothills of Huishan Mountain west of Wuxi, is an exceptionally well-preserved example of how a city can preserve its cultural heritage while modernizing.
The town is a national 5A-level tourist attraction. It still retains its historical feel, home to four National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, including the villa-style Jichang Garden at the foothill of the mountain, the Ancestral Temples of Huishan Courtyard, the Stone Carvings of the Second Spring Under Heaven and the Huishan Temple Buddhist Stone Inscriptions.
Touring Huishan Ancient Town's streets, visitors can taste the city's cultural legacy. From the cut-stone sidewalks and carriageways to the building facades, where every nook and cranny is filled with sculptures, the layout and design reflects, with high accuracy, traditional Chinese architectural style and urban planning.
At the same time, in accordance with contemporary lifestyle and taste, the sophisticated interiors of the shops hint at individualism and a preference for openness over ornamentation.
In this way the ancient town maintains a balance between tradition and modernity, preserving a structure's facade while constructing a new interior.
Historic designations can impose limitations on how a city is able to develop and expand, and the question of what buildings to mark for preservation has no obvious answer.
However, if development is completely prioritized, it can lead to distorting, damaging or demolishing city neighborhoods and iconic landmarks. Poor residents can be dislodged, and the original feel of an urban environment can be erased.
Local residents and businesses may express unfavorable views, feeling a loss of uniqueness and pride, as though their culture is being replaced and obliterated by popular, modern Western thought and ideology.
In Wuxi, city planners and grassroots organizations alike have attempted to balance development and preservation with care and determination.
According to Mohammed Al-Zouba of the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, preservation in the city is "not exclusively from public policy, but preservationists surrounding the city".
He says each person is part of the chain of transmission that passes down our ancestors' heritage. "The fabric of society, too, has what the thinkers of today call a collective memory, forming an association with our physical environments. This cultural legacy of monuments, buildings and old town squares transcends our very identities."
Over the past few decades, the systemic measures and scientific development methodologies for conservation and restoration that have been implemented in Huishan Ancient Town have been recognized and accepted by residential communities, creating a win-win for parties involved, according to local authorities.
Center of higher learning
Donglin Academy, initially built during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), is another great example of how modernization can satisfy the demands of a contemporary lifestyle without compromising environmental, economic, cultural or social concerns.
The academy was one of the most important institutions for training bureaucrats and intellectuals in ancient China, and a hub for the reform and propagation of Confucian ideology.
Over the centuries, it has educated many of China's most prominent thinkers and politicians. Notable faculties and alumni include politician Gu Xiancheng, philosopher Yang Shi and political theorist Huang Zongxi.
Ongoing maintenance and restoration has made the academy a significant tourist attraction on full display to the public. It covers an area of about 13,000 square meters and is sheltered by picturesque mountains and woodlands.
The Donglin Academy is also home to a museum, library and research institute dedicated to preserving its history and promoting Chinese culture both at home and abroad.
The academy helps bridge the gap between old and new thoughts by providing a location for classical arts and literature as well as scientific advancement, allowing residents and visitors to experience, explore and be inspired by the best of both worlds.
Wuxi's overall theme is perseverance in the face of change. Its ancient roots are evident in its architecture, while its modernization is apparent in its bustling economy and cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Despite the incessant march of industrialization and modernity over the years, the city has tried hard to retain its sense of history and tradition, making it a unique and special place to live.
In a rapidly modernizing city, it can be easy to forget what came before. But as a city changes, grows and satisfies the needs of people in the present, it is important to memorialize the past and pay homage to collective origins.
This means appreciating the old architecture that still exists amid new construction, the reconstructed facades of the ancient town, and learning about the people and events that shaped Wuxi's past.
Getting caught up in the excitement of progress and change is easy, but it's essential to slow down and appreciate all that the city has to offer — both old and new.
Wuxi will continue its path to modernization, creating economic prosperity and uplifting the quality of life in Jiangsu province.
Preserving the authenticity of the city's historical elements will progressively become more important goals of sustainable development, helping the city safeguard its distinctive character and engender a sense of belonging among its residents.
While it is sad to see any city's historical roots being lost in modernization, it is also exciting to see the city adapting and evolving.
The perseverance of ancient charms and cultural heritage is a testament to Wuxi's strength, and it is hopeful that people will continue to see such resilience in the face of change.
Contact the writer at douglas@chinadaily.com.cn
