By WANG HUITING and ZHANG XUAN
Worldwide academic experts and young scholars joined forces in a three-day conference to focus on the themes of historical geography, space and humanity, and the protection and utilization of cultural heritage. The Historical Geospatial Information and Great Wall Defensive System International Conference, held in the Conference Building in Tianjin University (TJU) from Nov. 19 to Nov. 22, was jointly organized by The School of Architecture of TJU and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Cultural Inheritance of China’s Traditional Villages and Architecture.
Conference attendees included leading archaeologists, engineers, and experts in the fields of historical geography, heritage protection, digital humanity, architectural history and the Great Wall research.
Kong Yuhang, deputy dean of the School of Architecture of TJU hosted the opening ceremony. Dong Yaohui, executive vice president of China Great Wall Society, Yuan Yingjin, vice president of TJU, and Zhang Qi, dean of the School of Architecture of TJU delivered opening speeches separately. Yuan Yingjin and Dong Yaohui both took stock of the protection work achieved so far by TJU, and furthermore, they proposed practical measures to protect our cultural heritage. Zhang Qi reviewed the history of the School of Architecture and appealed to forge ahead in heritage protection, whilst also stating that TJU has played a crucial role in heritage protection so far.
Spatial information technology and methods of historical geography are needed in the study of culture heritage, so as to study and explore historical geography from the perspective of macro-geography across time and space with the help of spatial data and the comprehensive analysis of ancient and modern information. Major cultural heritage sites, such as the military defense system of the Great Wall, the Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou, the Silk Road, the Ancient Tea Horse Road, involve cross discipline collaboration in the fields of history, archaeology, geography, economics, military, architecture, landscaping, anthropology, information technology and more.
The conference mainly focused on research of the Great Wall and how to enhance the efficiency of heritage protection utilizing GIS (Geographic Information System) applications and radar remote sensing. “Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration” said Chen Fulong, professor of the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who stressed the significance of the world heritage sites and urgency to protect them. Several experts emphasized the importance of uniting all efforts to achieve the common goal of safeguarding and preserving cultural heritage. They also noted the great potential of culture in supporting humanitarian responses, social cohesion and dialogue.
Seminars were held during the conference, including programs in historical geography research, space and humanities, the application of geographic information technology in the study of historical geography, protection and utilization of large-scale culture heritage, the concept, methods and technology of the protection of cultural landscapes, the investigation, research and conservation of the Great Wall and its defensive settlements and the research and protection of coastal defensive works and historical borderlands. Researchers from the TJU School of Architecture attended the conference and delivered speeches concerning their programs.
Prof. Zhang Yukun from TJU talked about the historical research and conservation of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. He gave a brief introduction about the background, process, content and achievement of the program and pointed out the importance of the authenticity and integrity of the Great Wall conservation and the goal to enhance its historical and cultural value. One of the achievements was brought into the national 12th Five-Year Plan, a long-term plan that plays a significant role in national economic and social development. It includes the planning of the national great construction project, productivity distribution, and the proportional relationship of the national economy. The plan will be renewed every five years. Prof. Zhang also mentioned that the Great Wall research database will be opened to the public. Executive vice president Dong Yaohui of China Great Wall Society spoke highly of Zhang’s program and said, “The opening of the database will be beneficial to anthropology and sociology.”
Associate prof. He Jie from TJU introduced his program focusing on the individual perspective in spatial humanities for landscape and urban history studies. Professor Paolo Vincenzo Genovese from TJU gave a speech about the use of the Internet of Things as an advanced method to integrate Chinese historical settlements along the logic of eco-villages. Associate Prof. Yuan Sinan from TJU focused on morphology and cognition research on Chinese traditional settlements based on VR technology.
"It is high time that we should focus on the protection of the Great Wall," said Prof. Tang Yuyang from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. "We realized how deficiently protection it is taken by the government. A better plan about its protection must be issued without delay."
Editor: QIN MIAN
