The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics, implemented in March 2025, stipulates requirements for the interpretation of "cultural relics and heritage." For instance, Article 15 supports the exploration and interpretation of the value of cultural relics to promote revolutionary and advanced socialist culture; Article 12 mandates strengthened protection for relics related to major events and the "Great Founding Spirit of the CPC"; and Article 16 advocates for a social atmosphere conducive to the inheritance of China’s historical and cultural heritage. Whether viewed through terminology or legal logic, the "Historical Districts and Buildings of New China" theme presented by Urban Design magazine aligns perfectly with these "jurisprudential" requirements.
      In 2008, Shan Jixiang, then Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, proposed in his book "From 'Cultural Relics Protection' to 'Cultural Heritage Protection'" that China should adopt an international perspective while integrate national conditions to pioneer new approaches to heritage conservation. From 2016 to 2025, driven by the China Society of Cultural Relics and the Architectural Society of China, the 20th-Century Architectural Heritage Committee recommended ten batches comprising one thousand "20th Century Chinese Architectural Heritage Projects." This represents an innovation in both the theory and practice of contemporary architectural heritage and aligns with the central government’s emphasis at the June 2023 Cultural Heritage Inheritance Symposium on the need to "build a modern civilization of the Chinese nation." As early as 1931, in the inaugural issue of "China Architecture," Zhao Shen, who had returned from studying in the United States, wrote in the editorial, "The quality of architecture can reflect the culture of a nation." This not only demonstrates the connection between architecture and civilization but also reflects the profound scholarship of early Chinese architects regarding the modernization of Chinese-style cities. In light of the Central Urban Work Conference in July 2025, which called for enhancing urban cultural soft power with the aim of " fostering cities that uphold moral integrity and social civility," it is evident that, in the larger context of urban renewal, strengthening research on the protection and inheritance of urban architectural heritage in contemporary China is of far-reaching significance.
      The author had the privilege of participating in the "Forum on Conservation and Utilization of Historical Districts and Buildings of New China," organized by the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University and other institutions, on December 7, 2024, and November 15, 2025. Keynote speeches were delivered on "The 'Tiananmen Square and Its Building Complex' of the World Heritage Beijing Central Axis" and "Conservation of New China's Architectural Heritage in Beijing and Profiles of Architects—Taking Senior Architects of BIAD as an Example." Although "New China's Urban Architectural Heritage" lacks a formal definition, it generally refers to classic projects since 1949 on Chinese soil. It can be illustrated by the 472 projects completed after 1949 within the 1,000 designated 20th-Century Chinese Architectural Heritage Projects, aiming to highlight historical events, heritage policies, representative works, and the contributions of architects. Taking the 2009 volume "60 Years of Architecture in China (Heritage Volume) " as an example, it systematically summarized the heritage of major events and representative buildings since 1949: (1) The "Liang-Chen Proposal" (Proposal on the Location of the Central Government Administrative Center) by Liang Sicheng and Chen Zhanxiang in early 1950; (2) The publication of "Classical Gardens of Suzhou" by Liu Dunzhen, marking the academic tradition of the Society for the Study of Chinese Architecture (Zhongguo Yingzao Xueshe); (3) The publication of "Chinese Vernacular Dwellings (Introductions to Chinese Culture)" by Liu Dunzhen in 1956; (4) The 1986 publication of the first translation of "De Architectura" (Ten Books on Architecture) by Gao Lütai, and the 1999 publication of "History of Modern Western Art" translated by Zou Denong et al.; (5) The 1990 publication of "Kenzo Tange" by Ma Guoxin; (6) “Cathay's Idea - Design Theory of Chinese Classical Architecture” by Li Yunhe, published in Hong Kong in 1984; (7) The "Overview of Modern Chinese Architecture" series (with 15 survey reports published), led by Wang Tan, and the 1989 publication of "Outline of Modern Chinese Architectural History" by Gong Deshun et al.; (8) The publication of "Encyclopedia of China: Architecture, Gardening, and Urban Planning," with Yang Tingbao and Dai Nianci chairing the editorial committee; (9) "Contemporary Chinese Architects" (Volumes I and II) published by Zeng Zhaofen in 1987 and 1990; (10) Fu Xinian’s "Research on Ancient Chinese Urban Planning, Building Complex Layouts, and Architectural Design Methods"; (11) "Thirty Years of Architectural Design" edited by the journal Archicreation; (12) The "Modern Chinese Architecture Series" planned and edited by Archicreation, including volumes on Sun Yat-sen Memorial Architecture, Memorial Architecture of the War of Resistance, and Memorial Architecture of the 1911 Revolution; (13) "Years and Sentiments—Memories of Colleagues from the former Beijing Industrial Building Design Institute of the Ministry of Building Construction, " edited by the Design Institute of the Ministry of Construction.
      Evidently, research on New China's architectural heritage must not only focus on the "Ten Great Buildings" of the 1950s and 1960s and the design styles represented by the "156 Projects," but also address the creative designs born of self-reliance, especially the shifts in design trends brought about by the 1978 Reform and Opening-up. Of particular significance for in-depth study is the systematic inheritance of 20th-century classic architecture as expressed in the Beijing Charter during the 1999 UIA World Congress of Architects in Beijing. In this sense, the special issue of Urban Design journal is already curating valuable academic resources to prepare for the 30th UIA World Congress of Architects in Beijing in 2029, fostering further international recognition of New China's 20th-Century Architectural heritage among global peers. [Detail] ...