Born in China on the 22 June 1982, Zhu Yujie will benefit from a fellowship to study at the Brandenburg Technical University in Cottbus, Germany. He will pursue his studies by working on the site of the old city of Lijiang, analysing the present management of tourism and its impact on this remarkable site inscribed on the World Heritage List, found in Yunnan province. He will make recommendations to the local authorities with the aim of exploring the possibilities of a sustainable tourist development in Lijiang and its surroundings that will be compatible with the conservation requirements of the old city. Populated with the Naxi ethnic group as the majority, Lijiang, with its architectural elements of Chinese, Tibetan and indigenous origin, the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997. He saw the annual tourist influx pass from 200,000 in 1994 to 3 million in 2003. This city serves as a management laboratory for heritage in China; as a result, this work could have an impact on the entirety of the country's historic cities.


Old City of Lijiang Site, China

The old city of Lijiang, harmoniously adapted to the irregular topography of this key commercial and strategic site, has conserved a historic urban landscape of great quality and eminent authenticity. Its architecture is remarkable due the fusion of elements of several cultures brought together over numerous centuries. Lijiang also possesses an extremely complex and ingenious water based food production system which still functions efficiently. It represents the harmonious merger of different cultural traditions which will generate an urban landscape of outstanding quality.


Project Objectives

Lijiang has undergone considerable social, cultural and economic changes in 10 years; the number of tourists has exceeded à.2 million to 3 million. During this period, conservation work has been led by local Government. A committee for heritage conservation and management was created, the first municipal body for conservation constituted in China. The urban planners of other historic Chinese cities frequently visit Lijiang to learn from its policy of conservation and management. The management of Lijiang is therefore significant for the entirety of Historic Chinese towns.

• To identify the issues of heritage management development policies in China pertaining to local heritage;
• To clarify the intervention of local authorities on heritage and to evaluate the roles of different entities concerned with heritage management and the possible scenarios to be set up for the Old City of Lijiang;
• To submit proposals aiming to improve the present situation and to integrate into the different levels of management and by the different entities concerned, heritage management in social, economic and cultural development.