The reconstruction of a historic conservation area : a case study of Zhongyi Street, Rui’an City, Zhejiang, China

Abstract

In the context of the prosperity of Chinese culture, urban culture has gradually become a booster for urban revival. Cultural consumption has become an important link in urban development. And the historical districts that inherit urban culture are important parts of urban cultural construction. In China, many metropolises have historical districts owning unique characteristics. These famous districts attract tourists from all over the world and enriched the lives of urban people, which demonstrate the traditional historical cultural and boost the economy. Under the leadership of the metropolis, many small cities have begun to build historical and cultural blocks that can represent their local characteristics. While inheriting the local historical culture, they have also enriched the lives of residents and attracted consumption to stimulate the economy. Most of these historical blocks were reconstructed on the original historical streets. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the reconstruction work from the perspective of conservation to determine whether it has retained the value of the original street. This dissertation focuses on a Historic Conservation Area in a small city with less attention - Zhongyi Street Historic Conservation Area in Rui’an City, and carries out research and evaluation of its reconstruction from four aspects: artistic (architectural) value, historic value, social value and cultural value, and put forward corresponding suggestions to let people know more about the protection of historical buildings in small cities, and also provide guidance and reference for the reconstruction of other historical and cultural blocks.