Understanding Heritage-Led Development of the Historic villages of China: A multi-case study analysis of Tongren

Historic villages in China have dramatically changed in recent years, particularly those in poor areas where local culture and a lagging economy constitute the socio-economic framework. The critical relationship between preservation and commodification has become the focus of debate, but little attention has been paid to how different historic villages have been changed through heritage-led development processes and different patterns of stakeholders involved. In this paper, a case study is presented, which focuses on three historic villages in Tongren, China. The findings confirm the idea that heritage preservation as a governance technique is vulnerable to changing socio-economic circumstances. Three transformational approaches with different patterns of stakeholder engagement are identified. In addition, the coalition between the government and real-estate development enterprises played a dominant role in the government-led approach. In the case where the government and enterprises are not strongly present, village elites and village cadres are the power holders in leading to the heritage-led development despite their dual position in heritage preservation and profit-making. This paper suggests that the rigorous, scientific investigation in the planning and project-making involving a shared platform of stakeholders should be developed to address a shared future for the historic villages in China.