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Preservation of architectural heritage binds past and future

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      China

      China

      Preservation of architectural heritage binds past and future

      2024-10-04 14:40 Last Updated At:15:17

      The efforts for preservation of the Beijing Central Axis not only safeguard history, but also provide insights for future conservation, ensuring that the legacy of China's architectural treasures endures.

      As a building ensemble, the Beijing Central Axis serves as a spine for the city, exhibiting the ideal order of the Chinese capital and culminating in the majestic Forbidden City. The north-south axis was established in the 13th century, fully formed in the 16th century, and was recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

      The Hong'en Taoist Temple is located 200 meters north of the Bell and Drum Tower, at the northern end of the Beijing Central Axis. The newly renovated temple, covering an area of over 3,000 square meters, has witnessed the changes of the city for 700 years, spanning the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties.

      The temple has been partially painted and partially kept as it was.

      "There's no particular intention. It is a common practice to protect cultural heritage nowadays. That is, to preserve as many historical messages as possible. In the past, we lacked or did not have enough awareness in this regard, and many valuable things were destroyed due to renovation. In recent years, we have attached great importance to this aspect of our work. So what we're seeing now is that we restored the missing parts as they were. And considering its recognizability, we didn't make it in a retro style. You can see the old parts are truly authentic, showing visitors an original picture," said Gao Yejing, chief expert of the technical expert committee of the repair and construction of protected houses in Beijing.

      Ancient architectural painting did not simply express people's spiritual pursuit of beauty. It also reflected the practical value of the working people. In history, buildings were mostly wooden structures. To protect against damage by insects and moths, craftsmen brushed the wood with lacquer, the Chinese wood oil, as an undercoat.

      About 2,500 kilometers south of the Hong'en Temple lies the Guandi Temple, which is dedicated to Guan Yu, a deified historic figure in the Three Kingdoms period (220-280).

      Built in the Ming Dynasty, the temple is undergoing restoration with ancient Chinese architectural techniques, including bricks, tiles, and techniques of wood carving and house painting.

      "There are many ancient buildings throughout China, and renovation has been carried out every year to make ancient architectures as they were. Thus, a large amount of bricks and tiles are used to repair old structures each year. So, there is sufficient room for the subsistence of ancient architectures," said Lu Tiancheng, executive project manager of Beijing House Repairs Construction Engineering Co.

      As there are thousands of ancient buildings along the Beijing Central Axis, the architectural traditions and building techniques pass down through generations, leaving enough clues and space for future generations to understand and better preserve these giant treasures across China.

      Preservation of architectural heritage binds past and future

      Preservation of architectural heritage binds past and future

      The Palestinian people in the devastated Gaza Strip have reacted with outrage to a controversial AI-generated video posted online by U.S. President Donald Trump, which depicts the Gaza Strip transformed into a luxurious resort named "Trump Gaza," drawing widespread criticism for its insensitivity.

      The 33-second video, posted on social media late on Wednesday night, opens with visuals showing the devastation in Gaza, where a 15-month-long Israeli military operation aimed at dismantling Hamas has caused significant destruction.

      The video, overlaid with the text "Gaza 2025," then shifts into a fictional vision of Gaza as a glamorous resort, accompanied by a series of perplexing lyrics that proclaim "Trump Gaza number one."

      The bizarre scenes also appear to portray Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sunbathing and sipping cocktails poolside at a hotel, and features a giant golden statue of the U.S. president.

      During a meeting with Netanyahu in Washington earlier this month, Trump made an extraordinary and roundly condemned proposal that the U.S. would "take over" Gaza and redevelop it after Palestinians are relocated elsewhere.

      Palestinians in the war-torn enclave on Thursday strongly condemned the shocking video posted by the U.S. president, accusing Trump of trivializing their suffering, ignoring their right to live on their own land, and expressing their disgust at his far-fetched proposals to transform the region into his own personal playground.

      "Is displacement included in international law? Can Trump raise this concern? Displacement is internationally and legally rejected, so Trump is clearly biased towards Israel, without a doubt, and even if he cares about us, we are here on our land," said Ahmed Moussa, a resident living in Gaza.

      "We will tell Trump that the land of Gaza is not for tourism or investment. The land of Gaza is for its steadfast people who will liberate their land. Even if he wanted to invest, he would not be able to achieve anything," said Essa al-Fayoumi, another Palestinian.

      Muhannad Shana'a, another Gazan, strongly rejected Trump's idea that the Palestinian people can be relocated, dismissing such notions.

      "People will not leave their land and the displacement process will not take place, especially after the decision of Egypt and the Arab countries to rebuild the Gaza Strip with the presence of its people. These are the daydreams of Trump and Netanyahu. They will not be able to achieve what they failed to do during the last two years," he said.

      The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli airstrikes and ground operations which began in Gaza in October 2023 has now reached 48,365, with over 111,780 others injured, according to a statement released by Gaza's health authorities on Thursday.

      Palestinians react with outrage to shocking AI-generated video depicting Trump takeover of Gaza

      Palestinians react with outrage to shocking AI-generated video depicting Trump takeover of Gaza

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