The Preservation And Utilization Of Baiquan Historic Landscape Gardens In Huixian City, Henan Province

China has a long and profound history, in which there has been conceived and accumulated a great variety of gardening architecture masterpieces. These invaluable cultural legacies contribute immeasurable brilliance to Chinese landscape garden architecture and urban environment. However, due to the lack of policies and public awareness regarding the protection, reservation and maintenance of historic landscape gardens in modern Chinese society, the very existence of such treasures is facing unprecedented threats and challenges. Additionally, many problems have also emerged in the implementation aspect of protecting historical landscape gardens. This is bound to be detrimental to the progress of reserving China’s cultural heritage and historic landscape.Baiquan, located in Huixian city, has a profound historical background. It has been known for its scenic beauty since the Shang dynasty(1600 BC) and has been under protection and maintenance through history by the authorities in each Chinese dynasty.It features both natural landscape and man-made scenic elements, which consists of the characteristics from each historical period, making it a valuable subject for the empirical study of the history of China’s classical gardening architecture. In recent years, however,the local government has been detrimentally developing the area without acknowledging the importance of protecting its cultural significance, inflicting progressively more serious damage to the landscape environment in Baiquan. As a result, once a impressive spectacle, “a hundred springs surging out” no longer exists,precious scenic sites and even the surrounding areas have become shabby without proper attention and management. The fact that such a great classical garden hasbecome so desolate is proven regretful to see.Based on the analysis and summaries of relevant data on Baiquan, as well as extracts from the theories regarding the reservation and utilization of Chinese historic landscape gardens, this essay will: firstly, make conclusive discussions on the preservation and utilization of Chinese historic landscape gardens; secondly, explain the concepts of preservation and utilization as well as the connection between them; thirdly,evaluate the potential benefits from protecting and utilizing Chinese historic landscape gardens and find additional methods of doing so, according to the Basic Principles of Preservation and Utilization of Chinese Historic Landscape Gardens. Through the study of basic theories and the analysis of the examples of the preservation and utilization of historic landscape gardens throughout the globe, knowledge that is beneficial to the preservation of Baiquan may be gained.In the end, this essay will list, summarize and analyze the detailed survey results of the issues around the preservation and utilization of the natural as well as artificial scenic elements in Baiquan, and provide suggestions towards eradicating existing issues on the reservation and utilization of Baiquan’s interior as well as its surrounding areas,based on subject knowledge, in an attempt to contribute to the work of improving Baiquan’s reservation and maintenance.