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June 12, 2017

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City鈥檚 latest list means it now has over 1,000 protected heritage sites

SHANGHAI published a fifth batch of more than 400 newly listed historic buildings over the weekend.

They will all be under strict legal protections and they will be closely monitored by local authorities, officials said.

The 426 “heritage architectures” bring the total number of the city’s listed historic structures — such as garden villas, lane buildings and industrial relics — to 1,058 across the city’s 16 districts.

The latest batch comprises a wider range of architecture, such as campus buildings, parks and prominent residential buildings, said Pei Xiao, deputy director with the city’s commission of housing and urban-rural development.

East China Normal University’s Siqun Hall in Putuo District is among the newly listed buildings. The orange-red brick building was built in 1946 in memory of Wang Boqun, a former president of the university. It still hosts campus events, such as student talent shows, chamber music concerts and graduation ceremonies.

Other listed structures include Huilongtan Park in Jiading District built in 1979, the century-old former residence of Zheng Shengguan in Pudong, and Yuz Museum in Xuhui District that was renovated from an aircraft hangar of the former Longhua Airport.

Many of the items on the latest list were built after the 1950s, said Zeng Zheyi, secretary general with the city’s historic buildings protection committee. Caoyang Community, the city’s first “workers’ community” was listed in the fifth batch, Zeng said. The community, in downtown Putuo District, later became the model for other workers’ communities built nationwide, he added.

The newly listed buildings currently serve as residential buildings, company offices, government buildings, restaurants, hotels as well as kindergarten and schools campuses, according to the official website of the housing commission.

“All the listed buildings must be strictly protected and cannot be demolished,” said Lu Yongyi, a professor with Tongji University who helped put together the new batch of listed buildings.

The commission will require the owners of these buildings to protect their appearance, structure, unique decoration and space layout, Lu said. If the owners want to renovate them, they must make detailed renovation plans and get official approval before embarking on any changes, he added.

“We will take zero tolerance to any damage to historic buildings,” said Gu Jinshan, director with the commission, in response to being asked about a recent incident in downtown Jing’an District where a private owner of a historic villa virtually demolished the 1930 structure for a reconstruction.

Shanghai People’s Congress, the city’s legislative body, has begun revising the city’s historic building protection regulation to offer better legal protection to listed buildings. The regulation will make clear the responsibilities of the authorities as well as the property owners and users of the buildings.


 

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