Beijing has given a whole new meaning to the word “heritage” - just recently, the government pledged to build replicas of some former city wall gates, which were all demolished in the 1950s. This situation is eerily similar to that of the Qianmen district, which Chinese property developer SOHO demolished substantial sections of in 2006, and then rebuilt as a bougie cultural quarter, much to the outrage of local Beijingers. more ›

Sorry about the delay in getting out the latest part of this series. In case you'd forgotten (and rightfully so), we've been searching through a list of 155 unprotected heritage sites in Shanghai. Here is Part I (Baoshan and Hongkou) Part II (Huangpu, Zhabei and Putuo) and Part III (Luwan and Jiading). Part IV is about Minhang and Yangpu. more ›

Part III of an ongoing series taking a closer look at all of Shanghai's 155 "important heritage sites" that are currently unprotected. Here are the locations in Luwan (French Concession!) and Jiading Districts - which housed the creator of the Chinese alphabet (bopomofo!), the poor discarded second wife of Chiang Kai-shek, and China's best art forger. more ›

Yesterday, Shanghai Daily reported that there were 155 historically significant homes in the city that are currently unprotected. These houses were previously used by Shanghai's most influential politicians, industrial tycoons, scholars and such, but are now in a dilapidated state (though, luckily, not yet torn down). Interestingly, many Chinese newspapers printed out exactly which 155 homes these were, so I thought I'd document them. more ›

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Tulou, the unique buildings of Fujian Province in southeastern China, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on Sunday, during the 32nd session of the World Heritage Committee. According to the submission provided by China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Tulou buildings have been built since the 11th century. Designed to meet the requirements of a whole clan living together, they usually consist of a rammed earth outer wall and internal wooden framework, often of a circular configuration surrounding a central shrine. From the People's Daily:

In recommending the inscription of the Tulou buildings, ICOMOS, the professional evaluation institution of the World Heritage Committee, praised their breath-taking magnificence, unique and exquisite style as well as their durable and ingenious structure, saying they present a unique charm and outstanding universal value.