BEIJING: After the removal of water pipes and telecommunication cables that were once attached to its side, the Wanning Bridge in Beijing, which is over 700 years old, has been restored to its original style.
Wanning is the oldest bridge situated on the Beijing Central Axis, a 7.8km-long backbone of the ancient capital.
It is located on the Yu River section of the Grand Canal and has played a significant role in north-south transportation since its construction in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
However, due to the urban development of Beijing, various items such as utility pipelines and fences were attached to the ancient bridge over time.
“At that time, meeting people’s living needs was a priority. Therefore, the simplest way was to hang everything on the bridge,” said Ye Nan, an expert with the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning & Design.
Finding a balance between the protection and utilisation of Wanning, a significant landmark that bears witness to Beijing’s urban history, has become a critical concern for the city’s planners, Ye added.
In recent years, Beijing has promoted the protection and urban renewal of the old city, offering a new approach to solving the dilemma between conservation and utilisation.
“There has been a new approach to development techniques,” Ye said.
“In the past, the process of renovation often involved adding new things, whereas this time they opted to remove unnecessary items,” he added.
“The idea is to highlight the historic relics themselves by simplifying its settings.”
The concept has been applied in the urban-renewal regulations and plans in many cities, including Guangzhou and Xi’an, where efforts were made to preserve the historical features of these cities, ban major demolition and construction, and protect the integrity of historical and cultural heritage. — Xinhua
