Cultural insight helps chart path to urbanization

Tested local practices evolve into national model for heritage preservation

In the early 2000s, Shaoxing, a centuries-old city in Zhejiang province, faced a dilemma familiar to many urbanized regions in China: whether to preserve historical neighborhoods or clear the way for modern construction.

Cangqiao Zhijie, a historical street in Shaoxing dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and featuring narrow alleyways, traditional homes and crisscrossing waterways, stood at the heart of a preservation standoff. As redevelopment plans loomed elsewhere, residents feared displacement and officials hesitated.

The impasse ended in January 2003, when Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang Provincial Committee, visited the neighborhood and gave a clear directive: It must be preserved in its original form and essence.