An International Forum to discuss New Canal Towns in southern China, which gathered well-known architects and scholars from home and abroad at Zhujiajiao Town in Qingpu District, closed yesterday.
Experts and city officials exchange their views and experience to explore a new development and preservation system for Chinese water towns that are facing pressure from the incredible speed of urbanization.
According to Professor Ruan Yisan from Tongji University, there used to be over 100 water towns in southern China, but only seven including Zhujiajiao, Zhouzhuang, Tongli and Nanxun, have survived.
"These scenic spots are of great historic value and have unique charms," Ruan said. "Preservation is the foremost thing. Tourism development based on protection is a wise approach at any time."
Seeing so many architects focus on innovation, Zheng Shiling, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and vice president of the Architectural Society of China, pointed out that some development was blind and unreasonable.
"Not everything new is creative," he said. "The coordination of traditional patterns and modernity, humans and nature is a new trend and concept in architecture of today."
Robert Stern, dean of the School of Architecture at Yale University, agreed. "A culture must be both global and local," Stern said. "Innovation requires not only theory, but also scholarship and knowledge."
Prior to the forum, there was an international design and planning competition for a new Zhujiajiao.
Two second-prize winners and three third-prize winners have been chosen from among 111 candidate works from home and abroad, while the first prize hasn't been awarded yet.