heritage Article Urban Heritage Conservation of China’s Historic Water Towns and the Role of Professor Ruan Yisan: Nanxun, Tongli, and Wuzhen Heleni Porfyriou Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, Cultural Heritage, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, 00186 Rome, Italy; [email protected] Received: 23 June 2019; Accepted: 10 August 2019; Published: 13 August 2019 Abstract: Between the 13th and the 19th century, hundreds of water towns flourished in China along the Grand Canal and to the south of the Yangtze river, the latter being the focus of this paper. Despite their long history, water towns still lack a comprehensive account of their urban history and development, yet they have become world famous as tourist destinations. Initially branded under titles such as the “Venice of the East” or the “Venice of China”, they are visited nowadays, for their own sake and not as surrogates of Venice, by millions of Chinese tourists. Focusing on the urban form and heritage of the three historic water towns of Nanxun, Tongli and Wuzhen, and on their conservation planning as promoted by Professor Ruan Yisan since the mid-1980s, the aim of this paper is twofold. On one hand, the aim is to identify and examine, through personal observation and secondary sources, the urban patterns and morphology of these places; on the other hand, to explore through his publications the impact of Professor Ruan Yisan—a (if not the) key figure—in their conservation and tourist development. The paper’s broader aim is to contribute to a more systematic analytical approach towards the urban form of Chinese historic water towns as a basis for further research and heritage conservation planning. Keywords: Chinese historic water towns; urban form and conservation; heritage tourism; Ruan Yisan; Nanxun; Tongli; Wuzhen 1. Introduction: Water Towns—A Story Still to be Written Water towns have a long history that is closely linked to the natural configuration of the land, particularly in East China, which “is so dense with waterways and small lakes that the map looks more like a cross-section through a sponge” (Figure1), as Philip Ball put it in his fascinating book The Water Kingdom. A Secret History of China [1] (p. 127). Their development was strongly dependent on the—until recently—predominantly agricultural economy of China (Figure2), while their history is closely related to the big commercial route of the Grand Canal and its ingenious hydraulic works, dating back to the Sui (581–618 C.E.) and Tang (618–907 C.E.) dynasties (Figure3). “On a good day a riverboat could hope to cover fifteen to twenty-five kilometres. The imperial grain vessels seldom kept the same crew from start to end of a journey—there would be changes along the way [Grand Canal], and sometimes the grain might be stored in granaries en route if repairs or bad weather impeded progress. The lives of the river merchants and their captains were a constant procession of misty peaks and water towns, as elegantly conveyed by the Song painter Zhang Zeduan [2] in his famous scroll painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival”. [1] (p. 121) (Figure4) Hundreds of water towns were built along watercourses. A significant number of them, located both south of the Yangtze river and along the Grand Canal, have been greatly influenced and developed Heritage 2019, 2, 2417–2443; doi:10.3390/heritage2030149 www.mdpi.com/journal/heritage Heritage 2019, 2 2418 Heritage 2019, 2 FOR PEER REVIEW 2 indeveloped relation toin the relation impact to of thisthe imposingimpact of communication this imposing and communication commercial route and (measuringcommercial around route 1800km(measuring in the around 13th century), 1800km in which the 13th connected century), Hangzhou, which connected in the southern Hangzhou, part of in the the empire, southern to Beijing,part of inthe northern empire, to China Beijing, (Figure in northern3). “Constructed China (Figure in sections3). “Constructed from the in 5th sections century from BC the onwards, 5th century it was BC conceivedonwards, it as was a unified conceived means as of a communicationunified means of for co themmunication Empire for thefor the first Empire time in for the the 7th first century time AD in (Suithe 7th dynasty)” century [AD3]. Around(Sui dynasty)” the 12th [3]. century, Around the the Grand 12th Canalcentury, became the Grand the most Canal important became the north most to southimportant communication north to south artery communication of China, and artery when, of during China, the and Song when, Dynasty during (in the 1127), Song the Dynasty capital was (in moved1127), the to Hangzhoucapital was on moved the Canal, to Hangzhou south China on the became Canal, the south center China of the became whole the country center and of the the whole water 1 townscountry of and the the Yangtze water delta towns were of the boosted Yangtze in both delta economic were boosted and culturalin both economic terms. As and a Chinese cultural proverb terms.1 saysAs a “theChinese harvest proverb of Suzhou says “the and harvest Huzhou of feeds Suzhou the and whole Huzhou world” feeds [4] (p. the 21). whole world” [4] (p. 21). Figure 1. HydrographicHydrographic basin of Shanghai Region Region,, 1930 (re-elaborated by the author). Figure 2. RuralRural landscape near Tongli, 2015 (photo by the author). The Grand Canal was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2014, and this gave a new impetus to the opening and promotion of at le leastast 40 new heritage sites sites along along its its course course [5]. [5]. However, despite this long and rich history, waterwater towns still lack a comprehensive account of their urban history,2 or at least a history of the urban morphology and evolution of the more homogeneous 1 The Yangtze region was always of great economic importance to successive dynasties for its agricultural potential. The areas around the cities of Huzhou and Suzhou (situated respectively in the south and north east of Tai lake) and south of the 1 TheYangtze Yangtze river, region in Zhejiang was province, always dueof great to their economic abundant watercourses,importance wereto successive the grain baskets dynasties of China. for Theits agricultural Grand Canal was built, in fact, in order to transport grain from the Yangtze basin to the great northern capital cities. “The management of potential.the Grand The Canal areas was around made the possible cities over of Huzhou a long period and Suzhou by means (situated of the Caoyun respectively system, thein the imperial south monopoly and north for east the transport of grain and strategic raw materials, and for the taxation and control of traffic. The system enabled the supply of of Tai lake) and south of the Yangtze river, in Zhejiang province, due to their abundant watercourses, were the rice to feed the population, the unified administration of the territory, and the transport of troops.” [3]. 2grainThe baskets reason whyof China. the recent The inscriptionGrand Canal of the was Grand built, Canal in fact in the, in UNESCO order to WHS transport didn’t managegrain from to promote the Yangtze a more basin in-depth to historical analysis of the water towns and of their development is due, in our view, to the fact that the inscription was the focusedgreat northern on the hydraulic capital cities. importance “The management of the Grand Canal of the works Grand and Canal of the was archaeological made possible excavations over a long related period to them, by and not on the historical development of the sites and water towns developed along it [5]. means of the Caoyun system, the imperial monopoly for the transport of grain and strategic raw materials, and for the taxation and control of traffic. The system enabled the supply of rice to feed the population, the unified administration of the territory, and the transport of troops.” [3]. Heritage 2019, 2 FOR PEER REVIEW 3 Heritage 2019,, 2 FOR PEER REVIEW 24193 urban history,2 or at least a history of the urban morphology and evolution of the more homogeneous clusters,urban history, such as2 or the at oneleast we a history will focus of the on urban in this morpho paper,logy3 located and evolutionto the south of the of themore Yangtze homogeneous river in 3 theclusters, Jiangsu–Zhejiang suchsuch asas thethe oneone provinces we we will will focus[6–8]. focus on on in in this this paper, paper,located3 located to to the the south south of theof the Yangtze Yangtze river river in the in Jiangsu–Zhejiangthe Jiangsu–Zhejiang provinces provinces [6–8 [6–8].]. Figure 3. Map of the Grand Canal. The Sui Dynasty Canal is shown in red (elaborated by Paola Brunori).Figure 3.3. MapMap of of the the Grand Grand Canal. Canal. The The Sui DynastySui Dynasty Canal Ca isnal shown is shown in red (elaboratedin red (elaborated by Paola by Brunori). Paola Brunori). Figure 4. Zhang Zeduan, famousfamous scrollscroll painting paintingAlong Along the the River River During During the the Qingming Qingming Festival. Festival.Detail Detail of “rainbowofFigure “rainbow 4. bridge”Zhang bridge” Zeduan, spanning spanning famous the the Bianhe scrollBianhe river, painting river, 18th 18th Along century century the edition River edition During of theof the 12th the 12th Qingming century century scroll. Festival. scroll. Detail of “rainbow bridge” spanning the Bianhe river, 18th century edition of the 12th century scroll. 4 Although they lack a dedicated history or a place in urban history books [9], water towns have 2nevertheless become world famous as tourist