On January 29, the State Council approved designating Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County in Hunan Province as a national historical and cultural city. Zhijiang has become the 144th such city nationwide, the fifth in Hunan Province, and the first in Huaihua City.
After more than a decade of dedicated pursuit, the goal has finally been achieved. Since launching the application process for the title, Zhijiang has treated its historical and cultural heritage with reverence, taking the designation as a key initiative to inherit the roots of civilization and promote high-quality development. Through persistent and long-term efforts, the county has earned this prestigious honor with unwavering commitment.
In recent years, Zhijiang has thoroughly implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Guided by the fundamental principle of properly inheriting, utilizing, and developing heritage with the times, the county has fully advanced the protection, inheritance, and utilization of historical and cultural heritage, striving to endow it with new contemporary vitality and building a Zhijiang model for heritage preservation and transmission.
Zhijiang was known as Yuanzhou in ancient times. Established as Wuyang County in the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC), it boasts a history spanning more than 2,200 years. In the first year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1736), Yuanzhou was elevated to a prefecture, and Zhijiang County was established as its attached county. The name “Zhijiang” derives from the renowned verse “By the Yuanshui River grow angelicas, and by the Lishui River grow orchids.” written by Qu Yuan. Zhijiang Town, the county seat, has served as the administrative center throughout history; it functioned as a prefectural seat four times from the early Western Han Dynasty to the late Tang Dynasty, and twice as a superior prefectural seat from the early Yuan Dynasty to the mid-Qing Dynasty.
Endowed with the strategic location of the gateway to Yunnan and Guizhou, and the throat of Chu Kingdom, Zhijiang holds the geographical significance and has been a vital military and administrative stronghold for governing the southwestern regions in successive dynasties. For instance, Zhuang Qiao, a general of the Chu State, led an expedition to Yunnan by sailing up the Wushui River; in the Ming Dynasty, a governor-general overseeing five provinces was stationed in Yuanzhou to maintain order in western Hunan; during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Governor of Pianyuan was appointed to exercise control over Yunnan and Guizhou.
In modern times, Zhijiang’s historical status rose to new heights during the critical period of national peril. On August 21, 1945, Japanese vice-general secretary Takeo Imai led a delegation to Zhijiang by plane from Nanjing to surrender to the Chinese government and people.
The War of Resistance began at Lugou Bridge, and the enemy’s surrender was accepted in Zhijiang. The epoch-making acceptance of the Japanese surrender marked the first complete victory of the Chinese nation in resisting foreign aggression in a century, making Zhijiang a sacred land that fills all descendants of Yan and Huang with pride. Centered on this pivotal historical event, Zhijiang has fully preserved a complete memorial system, including the Surrender Memorial Arch, the Former Site of the Surrender Acceptance in the China Theater, and the Former Site of the Airfield of the Allied Forces.
Zhijiang has actively refined the historical essence of the victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, further developing it into a peace culture and building it into a cultural brand with distinctive local characteristics. It has not only been accredited as an international peace city but also regularly hosts the Zhijiang International Peace and Culture Festival, attracting peace-loving people from all over the world. This has elevated Zhijiang’s image as an international city of peace beyond Hunan and gained global renown.
Red heritage runs deep in this land. In December 1935, the Second and Sixth Corps of the Red Army entered Zhijiang during the Long March, extensively mobilizing the local population. Many young Dong people enthusiastically joined the army. In January 1936, the Battle of Bianshui was fought, opening a victorious passage for the army’s westward advance into Guizhou. During the national Third Front Construction in the 1970s, Zhijiang was designated as the intersection of the Xiang-Qian and Zhi-Liu railways, and hundreds of thousands of workers launched a massive railway construction campaign here. In the same period, the No. 013 Aviation Industry Base of the Third Ministry of Machine Building established the No. 54 Machinery Factory in Zhijiang, tasked with aircraft assembly for the base.
As one of the five Dong autonomous counties in China, Zhijiang is also an important birthplace of the Dong ethnic group. A vibrant cultural landscape of multi-ethnic coexistence and prosperity has been passed down through generations. Distinctive architectures such as the Longjin Wind and Rain Bridge, Wanhe Drum Tower, and stilted buildings in Suozi Street, together with folk customs and intangible cultural heritages including the Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group, door-blocking wine ceremony, long-table banquet, and Nuo opera, form a vivid ecological cultural pedigree, witnessing the long history of exchanges, interactions, and integration among all ethnic groups.
At present, Zhijiang retains a relatively intact traditional pattern and historical appearance. The ancient city backs against Mingshan Mountain to the north and is surrounded by the Wushui River to the south. Inside the town, 8 streets and 30 lanes form a checkerboard layout. The spatial form and overall style of historical blocks and districts are well-preserved, traditional lifestyles have been maintained to a certain extent, and the town retains a strong sense of daily vitality.
Spanning two millennia, Zhijiang has evolved into a city with overlapping identities: from an ancient border county to a renowned surrender-acceptance city, and from a Dong ethnic homeland to a sacred land of peace. It systematically integrates historical culture, culture of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, red culture, ethnic culture, and peace culture. Currently, the county is home to 64 cultural relic protection units at all levels, 63 historical buildings, 75 representative intangible cultural heritage items, 4 Chinese traditional villages, 3 provincial-level historical and cultural villages, and 2 provincial-level historical and cultural blocks.
This ancient town located in the western border of Hunan, with its uninterrupted historical context, diverse ethnic roots, and globally oriented peace culture, has built an irreplaceable historical weight, cultural depth, and spiritual value. These elements constitute the core support that enabled it to stand out among numerous applicants.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that historical culture is the soul of a city, and we must protect the city’s historical and cultural heritage as we cherish our own lives.
Zhijiang has firmly established a clear orientation of prioritizing the protection of the historical and cultural city. Adhering to the integration of systematic thinking, upholding fundamental principles while promoting innovation, and putting people first, the county takes strict protection as the premise, planning guidance as the support, and improving people’s well-being as the ultimate goal. It advances the coordinated development of historical and cultural heritage protection and urban development, and earnestly safeguards its historical context.
Taking a high-level stance in its arrangements, the secretary of the County Party Committee takes the lead personally. An ancient town protection and management committee has been set up to coordinate the protection and inheritance of historical and cultural heritage across the county. A regular research mechanism has been established by the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee and the Executive Meeting of the County Government. A mechanism has been implemented, featuring on-site assignment of officials and coordination by relevant departments, assistance from experts, and supervision by the Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision. The principal leading officials of the County Party Committee and the County Government conduct regular special research and supervision to identify and solve problems in a timely manner.
Zhijiang launched the application for the national historical and cultural city in 2009 after being recognized as a provincial-level historical and cultural city in 2005. A special team consisting of senior leaders, experts and scholars has been assigned. The protection plans and application documents have been formulated and revised many times. A cultural heritage protection center has been established, and a specific service center has been added to the housing and urban-rural development department. Funds for the protection and inheritance of historical and cultural heritage have been included in the fiscal budget.
Professional teams have been engaged to compile the Zhijiang National Historical and Cultural City Protection Plan (2020-2035) and the Zhijiang Historical and Cultural District Protection Plan. A series of local regulations and documents have been issued successively, such as the Measures for the Protection of National Historical and Cultural Cities, the Measures for the Administration of Cultural Relics, the Measures for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the Implementation Opinions on Strengthening the Mechanism of Historical and Cultural Protection in Urban and Rural Construction. These efforts have raised the scientific, legal and social standards of protection work.
Zhijiang has carried out a full-scale survey and registered 540 historical and cultural heritage sites with signs and steles for protection. Six heritage sites, including Zhijiang Confucian Temple, have been upgraded to national or provincial key cultural relics protection units. In line with the planning-led requirements, the urban development strategy has been established. A number of major construction projects in the historical urban area have been resolutely suspended. The Hexi New Town has been developed for land-function replacement. Government departments and enterprises in the historical urban area have been relocated gradually to retain the original features of the historical urban area to the maximum extent.
The “four-in-place” management (having a protection scope, a record file, a protection sign and a management body) has been implemented for 64 cultural relics protection units and 65 immovable cultural relics. Files and steles have been set up for the Huangjia Street and Sanxiang Lane historical and cultural districts. Surveys, mapping, filing and signage have been conducted for 189 historical buildings. Another 135 historical and cultural relics that are not listed as cultural relics or historical buildings have been managed as historical and cultural remains. An information management system for historical and cultural heritage has been established to comprehensively collect and sort out basic information, surveying and mapping results, current protection status, renovation and utilization of various protected objects, forming a digital archive.
Following the principles of prioritizing protection, promoting rational utilization and strengthening management, and meeting the requirement of “one plan for one building”, Zhijiang has effectively restored a number of cultural relics protection units and historical buildings, such as the Longjin Wind and Rain Bridge, Baoqing Guild Hall and Zeng’s Shredding Shop. Timely renovation has been carried out on relics including Tianhou Palace, Zhijiang Confucian Temple and the former site of the Political Cadres’ Meeting of the 2nd and 6th Corps of the Red Army during the Long March at Lengshuipo.
Adhering to the concepts of valuing cultural relics and people’s daily life, the county has carried out minor renovations in the transformation of historical and cultural blocks and districts, strictly controlling construction activities to maintain the spatial texture of streets and lanes. The Huangjia Street District has preserved the architectural characteristics of waterfront streets and lanes, becoming a traditional historical and cultural district represented by merchant buildings such as Tianhou Palace, Leizu Hall and Baoqing Guild Hall. The Sanxiang Lane District has focused on guiding the renovation and upgrading of courtyards, evolving into a historical and cultural district mainly for traditional residence and cultural display.
More than 66.18 million yuan has been invested in the renovation of old residential areas and the construction of public facilities, and new smart parking lots have been built. In Huangjia Street, the rainwater and sewage system has been upgraded, Yang’s Cloth Store, old rental houses and old grocery stores have been renovated, and pocket parks have been built. In Sanxiang Lane, fitness facilities have been installed, and the street facades and drainage facilities have been renovated. These efforts have effectively enhanced people’s sense of gain and happiness in the protection and inheritance of historical and cultural heritage.
Upholding the philosophy that adaptive reuse is the best form of protection, Zhijiang breathes life into cultural relics housed in museums, heritage sites scattered across its vast land, and texts recorded in ancient books. Through functional restructuring, value transformation and business format innovation, Zhijiang enables historical and cultural heritage to shine with new splendor in the new era.
Since participating in the pilot program for the protection and adaptive reuse of historical buildings organized by the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Hunan Province in 2018, Zhijiang has launched multiple initiatives to protect and revitalize its historical and cultural heritage. Taking the Old Residence of the Xiao Family on Huangjia Street as a demonstration model, the county has guided the renovation and upgrading of traditional buildings such as residential houses in historical blocks, improving their residential functions.
Zhijiang encourages original residents of historical blocks to continue living in their native places and preserve traditional lifestyles, filling the old streets with authentic vitality. Experts evaluating national historical and cultural cities have praised it as an exemplary model for the living inheritance of human settlements in towns of western Hunan.
In terms of functional restructuring of cultural relic protection units, Zhijiang has focused on renovation, upgrading and optimized utilization. The Baoqing Guild Hall, the former headquarters of the 2nd and 6th Corps of the Red Army (a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit), has been renovated and turned into the Exhibition Hall of the Red Army’s Long March in Zhijiang. A long corridor for historical and cultural exhibition has been added to the Longjin Wind and Rain Bridge. The former residence of Shen Congwen, a county-level cultural relics protection unit, has been converted into the Shen Congwen Former Residence Exhibition Hall, making it another important cultural venue in the county.
In addition, the Soviet-style old office building and auditorium of the County People’s Government have been preserved and renovated, and continue to serve as office premises and a senior citizens’ activity center. The Yuyingtang (Foundling Hospital) has been handed over to the Mingshan Calligraphy and Painting Academy, and the Tao Family Courtyard to a senior citizens’ choir, effectively enhancing the economic and social benefits of historical and cultural heritage.
Zhijiang has carried out in-depth research on peace culture and given full display to relics related to the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the surrender ceremony, including the Surrender Hall, the Surrender Memorial Arch, the command tower of the Sino-US Air Force, and the Sino-US Air Force Wing Club. It has successively established the only national special memorial hall comprehensively presenting the historical facts of the Chinese people’s victory and the Japanese surrender in 1945, the only special memorial hall in China fully documenting the Flying Tigers’ aid to China during the war, and a large-scale themed memorial hall comprehensively showcasing the heroic deeds of Hunan people in fighting against the Japanese aggression. These venues fully and vividly represent the glorious history of the heroic struggle of Chinese soldiers and civilians during the WWII.
As night falls, Zhijiang’s riverfront is ablaze with lights and thronged with visitors, full of vibrancy. Yuanzhou Yunji, a featured intangible cultural heritage market, brings together nearly a hundred stalls offering a dazzling array of handicrafts, authentic local delicacies and ICH performances, attracting swarms of tourists and residents.
By creating the Dong ethnic cultural market, Zhijiang has not only enriched nighttime shopping, catering and cultural entertainment formats, but also injected profound cultural connotation into the city’s night economy, enabling traditional intangible cultural heritage to gain new vitality in contemporary life.
Zhijiang coordinates the protection of the ancient city with economic development, and leverages cultural heritage to boost the integration of culture and tourism. In recent years, relying on its profound historical and cultural resources, as well as heritage elements such as ancient cities, streets, lanes and buildings, the Wushui River waterfront and surrounding landscapes, Zhijiang has integrated new tourism dimensions including commerce, wellness, education, leisure, romance and adventure, fostering new forms of leisure and resort tourism in the ancient town.
Centering on the traditional Eight Scenic Spots of Ancient Yuanzhou, Zhijiang has strived to create a tourist resort featuring the Mingshan Provincial Forest Park, renewing the natural brand of “Green Piled on Mingshan Mountain”. It has been honored as a national demonstration zone for ecological civilization Construction and a natural oxygen bar in China.
Zhijiang has made remarkable achievements in developing the waterfront economy of Peace Lake National Water Conservancy Scenic Area. With investment introduced, the Peace Lake Night Tour project has been developed, integrating distinctive ancient architectural complexes in the ancient city area such as the Longjin Wind and Rain Bridge, Mazu Temple, Suozi Street and stilted buildings. By coordinating the renovation, protection, development and utilization of historical and cultural heritage, Zhijiang has transformed the scenic spot Clear Water Like Indigo into a popular internet-famous attraction renowned in Hunan and Guizhou provinces. The project has been successfully selected into the National High-Quality Rural Tourism Routes and the first batch of “New Generation · New Scenes” of cultural tourism consumption in Hunan Province, and Peace Lake Scenic Area has been rated as a provincial-level tourist resort.
Going forward, Zhijiang will continue to uphold the original aspiration that adaptive reuse is the best form of protection, further explore the profound connotation of historical and cultural heritage, and constantly explore paths for the integrated development of protection and utilization. It will ensure that the millennium cultural context is innovated in inheritance and continued in innovation, that historical and cultural heritage is truly integrated into people’s lives and empowers county-level development, and write a new chapter in the construction of a national historical and cultural city.
(Translated by Yang Hong)