Recently, the conservation plan for Dali Historic and Cultural Village, Zaima Town, Rongjiang County (2019–2035) (hereinafter referred to as the Conservation Plan), in which Dr. Li Guanghan, Assistant Director of the WHITRAP Beijing Center, participated, won the first prize in the 2021 Guizhou Provincial Excellent Urban and Rural Planning Design Awards.
Project Introduction
This planning project fully analyzed and highlighted the Dong ethnic cultural value of Dali Historic and Cultural Village, taking into account its typicality and special characteristics, and established a targeted system for evaluation, protection, and utilization. On the basis of heritage conservation, the project applied a "dual-structure" model, combining the development needs of Dali Village. It made full use of the land on the northeast side of the village to develop a new settlement, alleviating the existing land shortage and the difficulty villagers face in building houses. This approach promotes better protection and continuation of both the material form and cultural connotation of the village's history and culture, and fosters comprehensive socio‑economic and cultural development in the region. In January 2021, the Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism approved the conservation plan for Dali Historic and Cultural Village, Zaima Town, Rongjiang County, Qiandongnan Prefecture.
The Conservation Plan identifies key protected features: the typical Dong ethnic pastoral landscape of "hills embraced by water, rice paddies interwoven with forests, and villages nestled in the mountains," and the typical Dong village pattern of "clan‑based clusters, a stream running through, flower bridges connecting, and a drum tower at the center." It strictly protects cultural heritage units at all levels, historical remains, and intangible cultural heritage. The plan also strengthens public service and infrastructure facilities, emphasizes comprehensive disaster prevention—especially fire safety—appropriately improves the village appearance, and continuously enhances the quality of the living environment.
Dali Village, part of Zaima Town, Rongjiang County, was first established in the Ming Dynasty. In 2012, it was included in the first list of Traditional Chinese Villages, and in 2014 it was selected as one of the sixth batch of Chinese Historic and Cultural Villages. The team led by Professor Sun Hua and Dr. Li Guanghan from the Cultural Heritage Research Center of Peking University has been conducting fieldwork in Dali Village since 2013, combining academic research with community practice to conserve the village. The practical experience of the integrated conservation and utilization of Dali Traditional Village can be summarized in the following aspects:
First, improving the understanding of the built heritage and environmental values within traditional villages. When compiling the list of nationally protected ancient building complexes in Dali Village, the cultural heritage authorities included all elements that represent the architectural spatial composition of a Dong village. The construction timeline spans from the Qing Dynasty to modern times, making this list a relatively complete and dynamic representation of the built environment of a Dong village.
Second, rural architectural heritage is a living cultural heritage that is constantly evolving. Its protection must also focus on safeguarding deeper intangible cultural and social structures, and cannot be limited solely to the preservation of physical heritage objects.
Furthermore, with the aim of promoting and enhancing vernacular architecture and attracting multi‑party cooperation, the project also received funding from the Global Heritage Fund to establish the Dali Village Culture and Community Center. This project insisted on using only locally sourced materials and traditional construction techniques, aiming to cultivate a local team of craftsmen and promote innovative building traditions along with natural, local building materials.
Third, the transmission and revitalization of rural intangible cultural heritage can promote community reconstruction and establish a cooperative model based on the village as a unit.
Award Introduction
The selection process was guided by the Guizhou Provincial Department of Housing and Urban‑Rural Development and organized by the Guizhou Urban Planning Association. The application scope was divided into five major categories:
1.Urban Planning: including master plans, detailed plans, conservation plans for historic and cultural cities, urban transportation, urban infrastructure planning, etc.
2.Village and Town Planning: including town (township) master plans, conservation plans for historic and cultural towns and villages, detailed plans for towns, small town plans, village plans, village renovation plans, etc.
3.Urban Design (Urban Restoration & Remediation) and Planning Research: including urban design, urban restoration and remediation, urban planning research, village and town planning research, etc.
4.Urban Surveying Specialty: including urban survey, measurement, and design projects serving urban and rural planning.
5.Planning Information Specialty: including the development, application, and research of urban and rural planning information systems.
Photography: Zhang Li
