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Traditional Thoughts and Modern Development of the Historical Urban Landscape in China: Lessons Learned from the Example of Pingyao Historical City

Author

Listed:
  • Xinpeng Li

    (College of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Yanta Road 13, Xi’an 710055, China
    College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Siping Road 1239, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Wei Hou

    (Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping, Lianhuachi West Road 28, Beijing 100830, China)

  • Meng Liu

    (Shaanxi Institute of Urban & Rural Planning and Design, Xintai South Street 1418, Xi’an 710021, China)

  • Zhenlin Yu

    (China Northwest Architecture Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd., WenJing Road 98, Xi’an 710018, China)

Abstract

In the past 40 years, China has undergone a rapid urbanization process which has led to a significant contradiction between the desire to develop modern urban spaces and the need to protect historic urban sites. Urban construction has brought not only the destruction of the physical space of the historic urban sites, but also the fragmentation of the natural landscape and its structural disconnection to the historic urban landscape. Ancient Chinese planners had their own thoughts regarding urban construction and the specific patterns of the urban landscape. The urban landscape of Chinese historic cities focuses predominantly on the structural relationship to its neighborhood. This paper aims to explore the value and character of the historic landscape of the ancient city, finding the key causes of its decline in the process of urbanization. The World Cultural Heritage city Pingyao is taken as a case study. Firstly, an analysis of its historical spatial structure and urban planning ideas of the ancient city of Pingyao using ancient maps and historical documents is presented. Then, a quantitative analysis of the urban space expansion in Pingyao city from 1989 to 2016 is conducted and its land use structure further analyzed. Additionally, four editions of the urban master plan in Pingyao have comprehensively shown that modern urban construction and planning tend to focus more on urban economic functions and social needs. In contrast, ancient urban planning relied on the spatial connection between urban space and its natural environment to construct a higher urban cultural connotation. As a result, the different development mode between modern urbanization and construction of ancient cities could be the key reason for the decline of spatial structure and landscape fragmentation of historical cities in China. With respect to the experience and thoughts of Pingyao’s ancient urban planning and construction, technical ideas and suggestions are put forward as reference in future spatial planning for Pingyao’s urban development and cultural protection. Our findings have been incorporated into the relevant sections of the spatial planning of Pingyao.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinpeng Li & Wei Hou & Meng Liu & Zhenlin Yu, 2022. "Traditional Thoughts and Modern Development of the Historical Urban Landscape in China: Lessons Learned from the Example of Pingyao Historical City," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:2:p:247-:d:743658
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Xiaoyan Su, 2018. "Reconstructing Tradition: Heritage Authentication and Tourism-Related Commodification of the Ancient City of Pingyao," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Xin Zhang & Jinghu Pan, 2021. "Spatiotemporal Pattern and Driving Factors of Urban Sprawl in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, November.
    3. Paweł Pedrycz, 2021. "Form-Based Regulations to Prevent the Loss of Urbanity of Historic Small Towns: Replicability of the Monte Carasso Case," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-23, November.
    4. Zhiwei Wan & Xi Chen & Min Ju & Chaohao Ling & Guangxu Liu & Fuqiang Liao & Yulian Jia & Meixin Jiang, 2020. "Reconstruction and Pattern Analysis of Historical Urbanization of Pre-Modern China in the 1910s Using Topographic Maps and the GIS-ESDA Model: A Case Study in Zhejiang Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.
    5. Guolei Zhou & Jing Zhang & Chenggu Li & Yanjun Liu, 2022. "Spatial Pattern of Functional Urban Land Conversion and Expansion under Rapid Urbanization: A Case Study of Changchun, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, January.
    6. Chengcai Tang & Qianqian Zheng & Pin Ng, 2019. "A Study on the Coordinative Green Development of Tourist Experience and Commercialization of Tourism at Cultural Heritage Sites," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-19, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Shujing Dong & Danjie Shen, 2023. "A Study of Historical Urban Landscape Layering in Luoyang Based on Historical Map Translation," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, March.
    2. Jiaxuan Wang & Yixi Gu & Xinyi Su & Li Ran & Kaili Zhang, 2025. "Spatial Analysis of Urban Historic Landscapes Based on Semiautomatic Point Cloud Classification with RandLA-Net Model—Taking the Ancient City of Fangzhou in Huangling County as an Example," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-32, May.
    3. Sishi Wang & Xin Tan & Fenglei Fan, 2023. "Changes in Impervious Surfaces in Lhasa City, a Historical City on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-16, March.

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