5.4.7 Lack of Funding

Funding is the big obstacle to protecting the former residence of historic personalities in Jinan.Most of the residences are awkward, except for a small number of them that have been properly preserved by the Government or managed through corporate custody.

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Figure 5-27.The Restored Jin’s Former Residence

According to Article 21 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics, the state and users of the architectural heritage have the obligation to repair and maintain these buildings.Because the property rights of each former residence are different, some are state-owned and some are private.In daily work, the Cultural Relics Office requires the users to be responsible for maintenance and preservation.The related costs of the officially protected residences will be funded by the state.But most preservation fees of private houses will still be borne by the users.After many years of change, the property rights of many notable residences are now privately owned.It is difficult for the Government to invest large amounts of money in private housing, and it is also unrealistic to rely only on the users.The property owners are generally reluctant to pay for additional repairs and maintenance of these famous residences.