Let the big site become a civilized classroom shared by the society
Dialogue: Sun Qingwei (Professor of School of Archaeology, Peking University)
An Lei (Director of the Great Site and Planning Department of the China Cultural Heritage Research Institute)
Wang Lu (Associate Professor of Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology)
Zhou Feiya and Yang Xuemei (Reporter from this newspaper)
"People's Daily" (page 07 on February 26, 2022)
core reading
The "big" of a large site does not just refer to a large area.
With the 150 major sites currently selected as the backbone, we can see the general context of the development of Chinese civilization when strung together
The big site will become a more direct witness of our long civilization outside the museum
Nihewan, Zhoukoudian, Niuheliang, Yangshao Village, Liangzhu, Shimao, Erlitou, Yinxu, Sanxingdui, Zhouyuan... The large ruins displayed on the vast land tell the long history of China.
It only took more than 20 years for the big site to go from the conception to the point-to-surface formation of the basic pattern, from focusing on scientific protection to advocating utilization and display.
They are an important resource for the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese excellent traditional culture, which makes us think about where it came from and where it is going.
"Do a good job in the research and interpretation of unearthed cultural relics and sites, present the origin and development of my country's civilization and its major contributions to mankind more clearly and comprehensively, and better play the role of educating people with history."
In the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Protection and Utilization of Great Sites" (hereinafter referred to as the plan), great expectations are placed on the great sites. From a park that integrates culture and tourism, it will become a civilized classroom shared by the society and a civilized civilization that the masses can participate in. on site.
How does this all work?
Our reporter invited relevant experts to express their opinions.
Taking into account "value utilization" and "compatible use" to develop the multiple values of large sites
Reporter: It is mentioned in the plan that the protection and utilization of large sites is a cultural relic protection and utilization model with Chinese characteristics and in line with China's national conditions, and is a major innovation in the protection and utilization of China's cultural heritage.
What aspects of this feature and innovation are reflected?
An Lei: The big site is a unique concept in my country.
Internationally, the management of important archaeological sites as national parks started very early, and many excellent cases and lessons have been formed.
Yuanmingyuan is one of the earliest heritage parks in China, which was opened to the public in the 1980s.
Then, a number of large sites such as Hanyang Mausoleum Ruins Park and Qin Shihuang Mausoleum Ruins Park appeared one after another.
During the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" period, the state initiated protection projects for 100 large sites, issued a series of special regulations, and initially established a protection management system.
Since then, both Yinxu and Yuanshang have been successfully included in the World Heritage List.
In the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan", the large site is defined as "the most representative comprehensive physical evidence and precious cultural heritage in the history of the development of Chinese civilization", and the "six sites (Xi'an, Luoyang, Jingzhou, Qufu, Zhengzhou, Chengdu) "four lines and one circle" as the focus and 150 large sites as the support of the new pattern.
The current 150 large sites basically continue this pattern.
Sun Qingwei: The "big" of a large site, of course, does not only refer to a large area.
A large site is a collection of civilizations at a specific historical stage. Compared with ordinary sites, the depth of civilization and historical thickness are different, and the research difficulty is also different, requiring long-term archaeological work.
With the 150 major sites currently selected as the backbone, the development of Chinese civilization can be seen when strung together.
We used to look at cultural relics in museums, and many large sites were the original sites of these cultural relics.
The big site can be regarded as a larger "thing", which provides the environment, space and various relationships in which civilization takes place, allowing the public to better understand our civilization.
Wang Lu: Most of the foreign sites are stone remains.
Many of China's major sites are buried underground, fragile and non-renewable, closely associated with contemporary urban and rural life.
The spatial connotation of these sites is complex and far-reaching, the historical significance is particularly important, and the "readability" is limited. It is very necessary to ensure the authenticity of the ontology and to reproduce the meaning through the intervention of the protector.
At the same time, it is necessary to resolve the contradiction between the site and the local urban and rural construction. This mode of protection is a unique exploration and innovation in China.
Reporter: The evolution of the concept shows the change in the concept of protection.
From "immovable cultural relics" to "cultural relics protection units", and from large ruins to archaeological site parks, the connotations are becoming more and more abundant.
Important large sites already have multiple functions such as archaeology, scientific research, education, and recreation, and are cultural landscapes that are both scientific and open.
The protection and display of the large site has played an exemplary, comprehensive and leading role in the protection of cultural relics throughout China.
As you can imagine, the exploration of this road is not easy.
An Lei: In the past 10 years, the concept of cultural relic protection and utilization has undergone a very big change.
The "Several Opinions on Strengthening the Reform of the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Relics" in 2018 was a turning point; the "Guidelines for the Utilization of Large Sites (Trial)" promulgated in 2020 clearly proposed two types of "value utilization" and "compatible use". Completed the transformation from "preservation of things" to "inheritance of value".
This shift is particularly evident at large sites.
When the large site was first planned, the acceleration of urbanization brought unprecedented impacts and challenges to the protection of cultural heritage, and the contradiction between the protection of the large site and land resources was very prominent.
Gradually, the big site has gradually become a beautiful place in the city from a forgotten corner. From being known only by professional archaeologists, to being noticed by local people after the park was built, and even gaining national popularity, these changes are all visible. of.
Different subjects view the same object, and the value is different.
The significance of large ruins to archaeologists is inevitably different from the value to government departments, urban planners, local villagers, and foreign tourists.
The protection and display of the large site reflects the diverse value of cultural heritage very intuitively.
One site, one strategy, to better refine and display the spiritual logo of Chinese excellent traditional culture
Reporter: It is also mentioned in the plan that there are still deep-seated problems in the protection and utilization of large sites in my country. For example, the control measures for space use are not perfect, the mode of protection and display and utilization is relatively simple, and there are not many ways to "live" large sites, and the vitality is not enough.
What factors restrict the further "living" of the great site?
How to overcome these limitations?
An Lei: At present, the main mode of display and utilization of large sites is the archaeological site park.
Relying on the park, there are various functions such as archaeology, research, tourism and leisure.
At present, the level of these parks is uneven, and there are not enough large sites with national influence such as Daming Palace, Yinxu, Jinsha, Liangzhu, and Yuanmingyuan, and the construction of parks and site museums is more homogenous.
Sun Qingwei: The single model shows that the understanding of the large site is not deep enough.
Large-scale ruins, large-scale, rich in connotation, archaeological and research forces have been insufficient for a long time.
Even for a large site like Yin Ruins, with a particularly good continuity, more than 90 years have passed, and our understanding of it is still far from enough.
We must clarify the unique position of each major site in the long history, the unique value and connotation in the Chinese civilization identification system, and achieve "one site, one policy" in terms of research, display and utilization according to its unique historical status.
In particular, the Yin Ruins, Erlitou and other large urban sites require unified planning by the state.
Wang Lu: To avoid the homogenization of large sites, it is also necessary to mobilize the participation of forces from all walks of life and activate the wisdom of everyone.
For example, archaeological site parks located in urban or suburban areas can be combined with festivals, marketing, and cultural promotion activities to strive to become the cultural center of the community.
For example, the Strawberry Music Festival at the Daming Palace Site, the "Outing Festival" at the Yuanmingyuan Site, and the "Hongshan Grape Festival" at the Hongshan Site are all successful examples.
The archaeological site park may be only a part or a stage of the site, and characteristic industries can also be developed around the large site, such as the development of the ceramic industry at the kiln site site, the jade culture industrial park at the Liangzhu site, and some sites suitable for the development of ecological agriculture.
Every big site can become an irreplaceable classroom of civilization
Reporter: In addition to the renewal of concepts and the innovation of institutional mechanisms, technology has also played an important role in the protection and utilization of large sites.
An Lei: Yes, such as the digital interconnection project mentioned in the plan, we hope that from smart archaeology to smart parks, and even connecting smart cities and smart villages, the original set of original data will be used to the end to form a whole chain of park operation. Digital interconnection and further derivation of digital achievements are the technical guarantee for systematic and sustainable archaeology, research, protection and utilization.
At present, there are many heritage parks carrying out similar attempts, such as Liangzhu, Zhoukoudian, Jinsha, Qin Shihuang Mausoleum, Anji, and so on.
It is hoped that these cases will eventually drive the entire industry and promote the integration of production, education, research and application through scientific and technological strength.
There is also monitoring of large sites. Similar to monitoring of world heritage sites, the National Archaeological Site Park has realized the normalization of annual monitoring, and has basically achieved the goal of guiding the development of the industry through the accumulation and analysis of various data in the operation of the park. We also hope to further accumulate and upgrade to formal The park monitoring platform and even the large site monitoring platform.
Wang Lu: 5G, artificial intelligence, VR (virtual reality) and other technical means have been widely used in many large sites.
For example, "Digital Yuanmingyuan" has become a brand for innovative display of the great site.
However, most digital displays are limited to pavilions or heritage museums in the park.
Some sites are creating on-site immersive experiences, such as the Han Chang'an City site.
In the future, when people walk in the ruins, they can know where they are at any time through their mobile phones. Wearing VR glasses in a specific position, they can travel through time and space and see the ancient city of Chang'an rising from the ground.
Reporter: In your mind, what might the future great ruins look like?
Wang Lu: I hope that the big site is no longer just a project or a park, but integrated into the life of the whole city, especially the "overlapping ancient and modern" cities like Xi'an, Luoyang, and Beijing.
For example, in Xi'an, there may be a QR code in every community. By scanning the code, people can know which lifang they live in, what they did here in the past, and what stories have happened.
There may be signs next to seemingly ordinary roads, squares or green spaces, reminding people that they are walking on Suzaku Street, the axis of the city in the past.
The city gate, city wall ruins park, etc. are combined and connected, showing the pattern of the outer city.
The Way of the Imperial Examination, the Road to Xuanzang, the Suburb Festival in Chang'an, the Spring Tour in Qujiang... Each route or area tells an ancient story.
The hidden city of Chang'an emerges from the modern city of Xi'an.
Sun Qingwei: In the future, every major site will become an irreplaceable classroom of civilization.
The big site not only has a site museum, an archaeological site, but also an irreplaceable authentic environment.
I have been to Liangzhu many times, and every time I stand on the platform of Mojiao Mountain and blow the wind, I can't help but think of the ancient feelings; and Qianling, I believe that everyone can feel the magnificent momentum of the prosperous Tang Dynasty from the top of Qianling. .
Someone told me that when I saw Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, I truly realized the inevitability of Qin's unification.
This is the unique charm of the Great Ruins.
The big site will become a more direct witness to the long-standing civilization outside the museum.
Archaeologists are changing from providers of materials to interpreters and narrators of history.
In the past, we could only briefly describe an unearthed artifact, including its length, width, height, weight, and pattern. Later, we had to figure out its craftsmanship, producers, the etiquette system behind it, related inheritance, and communication paths… …With the advancement of technology, we can also have a bigger vision, reveal the cultural confidence behind the big site, and see how it has changed history and affected the future.