Analysis for Conservation of the Timber-Framed Architectural Heritage in China and Japan from the Viewpoint of Authenticity

The precious timber-framed buildings of both China and Japan have been preserved as heritage. Over time, the conservation and restoration of heritage in both countries have gradually matured. The restoration projects in each country are mostly guided by the documents promulgated by ICOMOS, which are followed as closely as possible in the actual restoration process. Nevertheless, the specific restoration projects in the two countries show a difference in their perceptions of authenticity, especially at the practical level. Therefore, this study intends to improve our understanding of the “authenticity” in the restoration projects of China and Japan so as to provide better guidance for practice. Therefore, this study firstly reviews the development of the conservation theory of authenticity in the West and East Asia. We then analyze the recent restoration projects of three typical study objects from China and Japan—Nanchan Temple, Foguang Temple and Toshodai Temple, which are all world cultural heritage sites—and conduct a comparison study to analyze the embodiment of the concept of authenticity in the actual intervention process. Accordingly, based on the analysis of comparative cases and documents, combined with the statistical results of the frequency of “authenticity” and “intervention” being mentioned in the international documents, we provide insights into the theories of heritage conservation in China and Japan.