Abstract：The process of conservation planning for Chinese cultural heritage originated with the protection of cultural relics,
historic sites, and ancient cities within the framework of urban planning. It gradually evolved into specialized and
diversified conservation planning and subsequently integrated into territorial spatial planning, thereby exploring the
conservation of historic cities. This process exemplifies the historical shift of Chinese urban planning from being
confined within the discipline to encompassing cultural heritage conservation planning that intersects with cultural
heritage studies. Throughout this evolution, the firsthand experiences and insights of conservators are pivotal in
grasping its holistic nature. This paper outlines the overall development of conservation planning in China from 1949
to 2023, presenting the individual memories and testimonies of those involved. It focuses on the integration of domestic
and international conservation experience, highlighting three key development threads: cultural relics, historic and
cultural cities, and World Heritage Sites. At the technical level, the deep integration of China’s conservation efforts with
international experience, as well as the synthesis of conservation practices across these three threads, serves as the core
driving forces propelling China’s cultural heritage conservation planning forward. At the cognitive level, regarding the
site selection and layout of historic cities, the paper emphasizes the inherent characteristics of “holism and integration”
in Chinese historic cities, addressing national strategic needs and managing the relationship between humans and
nature. This leads to the formation of a “holistic conservation” concept with Chinese characteristics, encompassing
embedded philosophical perspectives. Based on this understanding, it is crucial to deeply comprehend this process in
order to enrich the holistic narrative of conservation history and effectively integrate the conservation and transmission
of Chinese cultural historic relics at the territorial spatial level.
