Towards an understanding of dialectical authenticity of historic landscapes in China

Abstract

This article explores stakeholders' understandings of authenticity in a selected historic landscape of China, and focuses on views about appropriate conservation and management strategies. The World Heritage listed site, Slender West Lake Scenic and Historic Interest Area, is examined as a case study. The study shows that various stakeholders think the originality of fabric, the representation of intangible values, and social engagement are three major indicators of the authenticity of this historic landscape. The finding leads us to suggest that, in China, authenticity is significantly influenced by specific social, political, and economic factors and by native Chinese philosophies and the cultural characteristic of naïve dialecticism, which partly explains contemporary conservation practices there. The case study also demonstrates that creative reconstruction has always been an important cultural practice in the history and geography of the Slender West Lake site. However, the superficial application of this cultural practice may create challenges for contemporary landscape conservation. The concept of dialectical authenticity therefore has implications for future conservation practices of historic landscapes.