International influence and local response: understanding community involvement in urban heritage conservation in China

Abstract

This paper explores the situation of community engagement in the heritage sector in China, which is facing increasing international pressure particularly through donor agencies. It is argued that government-led residents’ committees do not essentially serve the interest of the local communities, whilst grassroots civil societies and NGOs are, to a great extent regulated, by the prevailing political power. Given the situation of insufficient community involvement in the sector of cultural heritage conservation in China, local government has adopted the international approach introduced by donor agencies, but this has not resulted in power sharing and the state constrains community involvement within certain limits. This paper examines the situation of community involvement in heritage management in the city of Yangzhou.

Keywords:

• community involvement
• China
• urban heritage
• heritage conservation
• international influence

Acknowledgement

The author would like to thank two anonymous reviewers, as well as Laurajane Smith, Bernd Seegers and H. Detlef Kammeier for their insightful comments and suggestions.

Notes

1. In December 2010, GTZ merged to German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), incorporating the German aid services DED and InWent.

2. More project information can be found at GIZ website: http://www.giz.de/Themen/en/6534.htm

3. Mass mobilisation has been often used by Mao Tse Tung as a strategy to achieve his political goals and is hence regarded as part of Maoism.

4. Translated by author from Chinese to English.

5. Mr Zhang’s argument represents, to a large extent, the government’s perspective.

6. Translated by author from Chinese to English.