2.3 The Relationship Between Historic Personality’...
Obviously, the protection of historic personalities’ tangible culture is ultimately the protection of their remnants including their homes and surroundings where they once lived.To some extent, the development of historical person’s culture is based on the development of their residential heritage sites.Therefore, these former residences protection is closely related to the architectural heritage.
The historic personality’s former residence is first a cultural heritage with physical attributes.The building structures, interior layout, furnishings, and personal relics, the outdoor façade form and the surrounding environment of the building are all elements of tangible cultural heritage.(https://www.daowen.com)
In reality, most of these former residences are ordinary buildings, and even some of them are dilapidated.This does not mean that these former residences possess less value.Instead, the unique historic significance brings them great spiritual, cultural, social and economic value.Behind these ordinary buildings, there is a strong spirit and historical culture, which is an important part of cultural heritage.The former director of the Station Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) Shan Jixiang, once said in an interview with Guangming Daily that concerned the dismantling of the former residence of Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin: “We must focus on the spiritual, cultural and social values of the former residence, and we must not simply consider the quality of construction and artistic value.”[24]The value of intangible cultural heritage represented by knowledge, practice, traditions and spiritual influence related to famous people motivates across generations, which becoming the spirit of the local and country.Therefore, the historical personality’s former residence exists in the form of a building, but not just a building.Even if this buildings collapses, its ruins still have heritage value, demonstrating its intangible culture.Of course, the better the preservation of the former residence, the greater the spiritual value, the greater the impact on society.On one hand, without intangible cultural significances, the former residences of notable people are just the ordinary houses.On the other hand, to some extent, the influence of intangible cultural heritage depends on the preservation statue of these residences.
In short, the former residences of historic personalities are part of the architectural heritage and cultural heritage, and the protection regulations of these residences is a branch under the protection policy of the architectural heritage.At the same time, different from general architectural heritage, these famous persons residences possess their own unique characteristics, with a strong cultural background and memorial significance.