HUBEI Village, the birthplace of Shenzhen culture, faces a turning point in its history. The China Resources Land (CRL) will invest over 30 billion yuan (US$4.56 billion) into the Hubei Village Renovation Project, building another MixC on the village’s land. Most owners and residents have agreed to the project, while some scholars and architects are calling for protection of the area.

    The CRL plans to convert the ancient village into a vast commercial complex with a total floor space of 1.98 million square meters on a 40,000-square-meter land area.

    The rebuilt complex will feature a mall, offices, convention and exhibition venues, a five-star hotel, a park and apartments. Concerning the demolition, 80,000-square-meter floor space as well as nearly 8,000 households and owners are involved. The project has an estimated cost of 30 billion yuan and may take 10 years to complete.

    The developer said the project will create 50,000 jobs and 1.8 to 2.8 billion revenue yearly.

    “Preservation of the village heritage is guaranteed,” said Zhao Rong, the project director of the CRL. “We plan to relocate the ancestral hall and rebuild the cultural landscape as the villagers wish.”

    Disputes over the project

    Over 97 percent of the shareholders in Hubei Industrial Corp., a village-based company, voted for the project Sept. 23, 2012. The original residents in Hubei are shareholders of the company. While the buildings in the east and west of Hubei were torn down by the villagers, those who used to live in the south moved out and expect the renovation project to improve their living environment.

    Livability is a major concern among the current residents, over 95 percent of whom are migrants. The community lacks fire escapes, electricity and sewage systems. Approximately 10 percent of the buildings have been evaluated as extremely dangerous. “We are left with no choice but to agree on the renovation project,” said Zhang Qixin, the chairman of the Hubei Industrial Corp.

    Some residents are concerned about displacement during the construction.

    The renovation project has been met with opposition, mainly from scholars and architects. Rao Xiaojun, an architecture and urban planning professor at Shenzhen University, was invited by the CRL to produce a report on the village. “The historic town deserves full and lasting protection,” he said.

    What the scholars are most worried about is a loss of cultural heritage and a crisis of city identity. According to Liao Honglei, a local folklorist, Shenzhen’s ancient villages are vanishing at an alarming rate, from 1,500 in 1984 to 200 in 2012. Today, only two remained untouched: Sungang and Hubei villages.

    “Shenzhen’s economic output is comparable to that of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou,” said Huang Weiwen, the head of Shenzhen Public Arts Center. “But our city falls behind them in terms of developing a regional identity.”

    Compared to Beijing’s hutong, Shanghai’s linong, and Guangzhou’s jiexiang, Shenzhen’s culture is making way for modernity. Relics are being replaced with skyscrapers, which don’t contribute to the city’s identity, said Huang.

    Alternative solutions

    Huang mentioned Dazhalan in Beijing as a model for improving living conditions without replacing original buildings. “If we are dedicated to making technical innovations, traditional architecture will be compatible with modern living standards. Shenzhen’s innovation should expand to urban planning,” Huang said.

    The opponents also argue that, heritage preservation does not necessarily contradict economic development. Urban renewal in some Shanghai districts has proven a success. When the local officials almost gave up restoring the condemned buildings of Luwan District, American architect Benjamin Wood led a team to bring history to life. The 150-year-old Shikumen residential area was refashioned into an entertainment subdistrict, the New Land. Now it is a popular tourist destination thanks to art galleries and cafes set in the early 20th-century streetscape. Similarly, Tianzifang, where factories and warehouses were abandoned, has been restored by local artists and is now emerging as a center of creative industry in Shanghai.

    According to Huang, Shenzhen is expected to be among the pioneers of developing a cultural economy. Unfortunately, quick profits and overlooking cultural assets discourage city planners from doing that.

    The idea “think global, act local,” first put forward by Scottish town planner Patrick Geddes, might give the city planners a direction. From a one-time fishing village to an emerging global city, Shenzhen has impressed the world with its rapid urbanization at the expense of local culture. Now is the time to step back and think: What distinguishes us from the other 4,000 cities in the world, another MixC shopping center or a historic Cantonese town?(Liao Zhenni)

    “If we are dedicated to making technical innovations, traditional architecture will be compatible with modern living standards. Shenzhen’s innovation should expand to urban planning.”