2026 Beijing Cultural Forum discusses the protection of ancient capitals in the process of urbanization

China News Service, Beijing, September 23 (Li Ziwei, Xu Jing) As cities continue to grow, how do ancient neighborhoods and historical buildings coexist with contemporary life? The 2026 Beijing Cultural Forum "Preservation of Ancient Capitals in the Process of Urbanization" parallel forum was held on the 23rd. Experts from China, Brazil, France, Spain and other countries conducted exchanges on topics such as historical city protection and urban renewal.

Beijing has a history of more than 3,000 years as a city and more than 870 years as a capital. In recent years, it has continued to promote the overall protection of the old city, the renewal of historical and cultural blocks, and the revitalization and utilization of cultural heritage. "'Diversity' is not only a policy statement, but also the face of history itself." Zhang Jie, a national master of engineering survey and design and a professor at the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, said that heritage elements such as the Bell and Drum Tower, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven on the central axis of Beijing span multiple periods, which themselves inspire the logic of neighborhood diversity protection.

He took the Bell and Drum Tower area and the Xicao Hongmiao area on the central axis as examples. The two areas, one in the north and the other in the south, not only carry the solemnity of the capital's order and ritual culture, but also present the prosperity of urban commerce and grassroots life, jointly confirming the diverse nature of Beijing's historical districts. The protection of Beijing's historic districts will explore diversified protection approaches during renewal practices, taking into account both protection and development.

Carolina Castellanos, special advisor to the Shanghai Branch of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific World Heritage Training and Research Center, pointed out that urban heritage protection is shifting from individual monuments to the entire urban landscape, and from "fixing the city in the past" to managing the development and changes of living cities. "The essence of heritage protection is no longer to simply say 'no', but to decide how the city should develop." She emphasized that residents should be placed at the core of protection so that they can truly become guardians of heritage.

Urbanization puts pressure on cultural heritage protection. Frédéric Masviel, head of the Architecture and Heritage Department of the Paris Province, France, took the east-west historical axis of Paris as an example to introduce the practice of protecting historical spaces and landscape patterns in urban development. He said that this historical axis is not only a visual corridor, but also connects different blocks, squares and urban spaces. Paris maintains its historic environment through a multi-layered protection system, while continuing to adapt the areas concerned to the needs of contemporary urban life.

Dong Wei, a professor at the School of Architecture at Southeast University and secretary-general of the Secretariat of the Asian Heritage Management Society, said that the challenges and opportunities for the protection of ancient capitals come from the integration and interaction of the historical environment and development space. Whether it is the cross-border linkage brought about by the China-Laos Railway or the cross-border application of the Central Asian Silk Road Corridor, they all point in the same direction: in the era of rapid urbanization, a single ancient capital cannot be immune to itself. Only by incorporating it into the larger regional development narrative can conservation gain lasting resources and consensus. When development and protection are integrated, "living ancient cities" can not only maintain the roots of civilization, but also embrace the tide of the times.