Survey of modern heritage between 1949-1978 in Wuchang District, Wuhan

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Keywords

Wuchang District; Wuhan; Value composition; Evaluation criteria; Modern heritage

Introduction

As a valuable part of tangible cultural heritage, historical buildings are indelible marks that humanity has left throughout history. Historical buildings from different periods are material objects from specific historical times, carrying significant historical, social, cultural, and economic value.

The three decades from the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 to the reform and opening up in 1978 were a unique historical period for the young nation. Under the circumstances of collectivity, urban construction saw the emergence of many remarkable buildings, whose forms, originality, and context evoked considerable responses. These buildings possess significant artistic value. Some represent breakthroughs in architectural technology, demonstrating bold attempts to use new materials and technologies. Others preserve memories of continuous development in infrastructure construction and modernisation during the early years of the People’s Republic of China, embodying the characteristics of modern cities. Furthermore, some buildings, still inhabited by original residents, offer a genuine portrayal of production activities and life experiences. They carry important social emotions related to people’s life experiences and the collective construction of new China, and are crucial to understanding a city’s cultural deposits.

Despite these values, the buildings between 1949 and 1978 are usually absent from the preserving plans in most cities in China. This research aims to provide a pioneering example for identifying and protecting such valuable modern built heritages.

Therefore, this research develops a set of widely applicable and effective value evaluation criteria for historical buildings constructed after the founding of the People’s Republic of China (1949-1978). It uses Wuchang District (in Wuhan city) as an example, aiming to both meet the need for protecting architectural heritage and provide a theoretical foundation for the value evaluation and protection of historical buildings in Wuhan city and China, constructed after 1949.

This research begins with a review of the basic theories of value evaluation and the protection of historical buildings, both domestically and internationally. It then analyses the components of value in historical buildings constructed after the founding of the People’s Republic of China (1949-1978). Using Wuchang District of Wuhan city as a case study, this research proposes a preliminary value evaluation framework suitable for these buildings. Through several site investigations and discussions with experts, this framework is refined.

Finally, this research develops a value evaluation method that combines rapid recording with hierarchical evaluation, and applies it to select a list of notable historical buildings in Wuchang District from this period.

My role

Qian Liu carried out survey and archival research on Luojiashan Community and Jiyuqiao Community, contributed to preparing the final report and presentation.

Xiaokun Fei |

Survey of modern heritage between 1949-1978 in Wuchang District, Wuhan

Keywords

Introduction

My role