Nanjing showcases participatory heritage conservation at UNESCO meeting

Nanjing presented its community-led conservation model for the Ming City Wall at the 48th World Heritage Committee session in Busan, South Korea. The city used case studies and a digital exhibition to show how heritage protection, neighborhood renewal and youth engagement can support sustainable urban development.

Why it matters: - Nanjing is positioning heritage conservation as part of urban renewal, not separate from it. - The city’s approach links historic preservation, public participation and digital interpretation. - The model is relevant to other cities trying to protect heritage sites while improving daily life for residents.

What happened: - Nanjing presented its participatory heritage conservation practices during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea. - The Nanjing-initiated event, “Shared Heritage, Shared Future,” combined a case presentation with “Our Wallscapes,” a digital exhibition of four short films. - The programs focused on the Ming City Wall and nearby historic neighborhoods. - The presentation was part of a side event on heritage action for sustainable development. - The event was co-organized by the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO, the Shanghai Centre, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UN-Habitat and ICOMOS Korea. - The Nanjing International Communication Center contributed content to the program.

The details: - The World Heritage Institute, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and UN-Habitat launched the five-year Heritage Hub initiative for 2026-30 during the meeting. - The initiative is intended to support collaboration on heritage conservation and development in urban and rural settings. - Shao Yong, secretary-general of the institute and director of its Shanghai center, said Nanjing has extensive and creative experience connecting cultural heritage conservation with sustainable urban development. - Shao said she hoped Nanjing would become an important partner in the five-year initiative. - This year marks 660 years since construction of the Nanjing Ming City Wall began. - Wang Teng, an associate researcher at the Nanjing City Wall Museum, outlined two projects from the “Shared Heritage, Shared Future” global co-creation initiative. - The “Bring Every Brick Home Project” began in 2016. - Residents, community workers and volunteers identify, verify and recover inscribed Ming-era bricks dispersed throughout the city. - By the end of 2025, the program had visited more than 500 recovery sites and retrieved nearly 600,000 bricks, according to project organizers. - The “Digital Heritage Global Innovator Contest” uses digital design to interpret the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, a landmark at the Great Bao'en Temple that no longer survives. - Two editions of the museum-based maker program have involved more than 1,000 young participants from 19 countries. - The program has produced augmented reality works, immersive audio and digital installations for museum display. - Wang said the brick recovery project repairs memory by looking to the past, while the digital heritage contest constructs imagination for the future. - Wang said the two projects together show Nanjing’s participatory conservation practice through the recovery of memory and the renewal of cultural imagery. - Doo-Won Cho, an executive committee member of ICOMOS, described Nanjing’s city wall conservation as a useful reference for comparable heritage sites worldwide. - Jae-Heon Choi, president of ICOMOS Korea, said Nanjing’s Ming City Wall and Korea’s Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon face related conservation and governance challenges. - Choi said he was willing to explore multilevel conservation and management approaches with Nanjing. - Construction of the Nanjing City Wall began in 1366 as part of a four-section defensive system. - About 25.1 kilometers, or 15.6 miles, of the capital city wall remain. - The wall now functions as both historic infrastructure and public space for residents and visitors. - The “Our Wallscapes” exhibition added four film-based case studies. - One film documents the city brick recovery program. - A second film follows a 12-year lantern tradition in the Laomendong historic district. - A third film explores international and interdisciplinary reinterpretations of the Porcelain Tower. - The fourth film examines the incremental renewal of Xiaoxihu, where residents, government officials, designers, business owners and project implementers work together to preserve historic lanes and courtyards while improving living conditions.

Between the lines: - Nanjing is framing heritage as a living civic asset that can support community identity, tourism and neighborhood improvement. - The emphasis on youth, residents and digital tools suggests a broader effort to keep conservation relevant to younger audiences and modern urban audiences. - The international comments from ICOMOS and the launch of Heritage Hub show the city’s work is being presented as a possible model for cross-border collaboration.

What's next: - The Heritage Hub initiative will run from 2026 to 2030 and is expected to deepen collaboration on heritage conservation and development. - Nanjing is likely to continue using community-based recovery, digital interpretation and neighborhood renewal as part of its conservation strategy. - Discussions with international heritage groups could lead to broader cooperation on city-wall preservation and management.