Members call for respecting traditional culture when rebuilding villages

"Rather than respecting the culture of one specific ethnic group, some construction contractors apply the same blueprint to all ethnic minority houses when reestablishing ethnic minority villages. This is a ridiculous practice, as some rebuilt Bouyei villages end up resembling Miao or Dong villages," said Bouyei singer Geng Wenfu, an attendee of the second session of the 12th Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

"It's not only a waste of government money, but is also damaging to ethnic cultural heritage. Future generations will know little about the different architectural styles of distinct ethnic groups, and will only see an embarrassing mishmash of styles," said Geng.

Geng Wenfu lives in Qianan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou province. Guizhou boasts an abundance of ethnic culture, with 213 national-level and 766 provincial-level ethnic minority villages as of December 2018. As the majority of ethnic minority houses, made of wood and stone, are old and dangerous, Guizhou has spent billions of yuan renovating them since 2016.

This is why Geng Wenfu brought this proposal on the preservation of ancient villages before the conference. "I suggest that the government establish a supervisory group to inspect every ancient ethnic minority village reestablishment program to determine whether it conforms to the ethnic culture's original architectural style," he said.

Geng is not the only one who cares about this issue. Zhang Hongyi, a lawyer and Guizhou CPPCC member, said," it is understandable that some contractors simply want to reestablish traditional ethnic minority villages to promote tourism. It is a way to alleviate poverty and improve local living standards through relocation. But we suggest that they respect the original architectural styles when rebuilding in order to preserve minority cultures."

"Traditional architecture is a form of cultural heritage and a monument to history," said Dr Huang Zhenbang, associate fellow at the Guizhou Provincial Museum." There is a gap between researchers and construction contractors. Research on ethnic minorities does not affect reestablishment programs, resulting in a mishmash of styles across rebuilt villages. Therefore, the government needs to bridge this gap. Researchers recording cultural symbols and architecture styles is not enough. They also need to be preserved through reconstruction efforts."

"Another reason for the mishmash of architectural styles is a lack of awareness of the importance of historical preservation. People are relocated to new places when their ancient buildings can no longer conform with safety standards and a modern lifestyle. But their cultures still need to be honored and preserved when new villages are constructed."

"Culture never stops changing. Building materials may change, but the fundamental culture should be treasured and preserved," said Huang.

Li Hanyi contributed to this story