Resource information
The rich cultural heritage of China is
an essential touchstone of its collective identity. The
country's archaeological sites, historic architecture,
expressive arts, cultural landscapes, and ethnic diversity
also are treasured around the world. Despite their
importance, China's cultural assets are under
tremendous pressure due to the country's rapid
development, particularly its rapid urbanization. Moreover,
rising incomes and mobility have significantly increased
domestic tourism, leading to the overdevelopment and
deterioration of cultural heritage sites. However, many of
China's government officials, conservationists, and
community groups have recognized these threats and, over the
past several decades, have worked tirelessly to protect
their country's cultural heritage. Based on the 12
projects developed under this partnership, this report
presents an overview of the project approaches and
experiences, takes stock of the challenges, extracts initial
lessons learned, and identifies new directions and
challenges ahead. The principal audience of the report is
national, provincial, and municipal decision-makers engaged
in conserving China's cultural heritage. This report
also is intended to be of relevance to World Bank staff and
those in the international community who wish to gain an
overview of the projects conserving cultural heritage in
China that have received World Bank financing.
