City Walls Of The Ming And Qing Dynasties Declare World Heritage

This paper is an explanatory report on the attempts to have the City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties designated as a World Cultural Heritage site,which begins with the Ming Dynasty Guanyao site in Nanjing as one of the "Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries of 2019",explores the historical and modern value and looks back to the application and protection process of the city walls.In the 1950 s and 1960 s,with the development of industrialization and urbanization,the domestic demolition movement was in full swing,and the city walls left over from feudal society were demolished as dross.Some early-awakened cultural protection workers realized that the City Walls of the Ming and Qing dynasties are important relics of the research on the history of the ancient city changes,and a precious cultural heritage left to future generations.Thanks to the efforts of those people with lofty ideals,the City Walls in Nanjing and Xi'an have been preserved to this day.In 2006,City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties joint application project,consisting of four city walls was formed,which was included in China's application for the World Cultural Heritage Preparatory List.Fourteen years later,this project is still waiting in line.At the same time,the application number of City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties has increased to fourteen.As the last witness of ancient Chinese urban civilization,the only relics of the City Walls that have been washed through history have a long and winding path to go global.Applying for world heritage is a long process that is continuously in line with international standards.One this way,the value of the ancient city walls is re-endowed and re-interpreted,and the city walls are protected in a more scientific and fine way due to the application of international advanced concepts and technologies.Today,the ancient city walls are well protected and managed.It has become a model of the integration of traditional urban civilization and modern urban civilization,and a shared cultural memory of citizens.The city walls is not an intangible historical relic but a public space where citizens can actually touch and enjoy it.The paper uses many methods such as fieldwork,expert interviews,and referring to historical materials to discuss issues concerning the joint application of the City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties,and introduce their protection and utilization.As the evidences of Chinese long history,the City Walls of the Ming and Qing dynasties have important value.The only pursuit of interests should be abandoned in the application of world heritage.The success of application is not the only purpose,Long-term protection of the heritage is the value of the application.