Geng Yanbo's Datong Ancient City Reconstruction: Debt & Controversy

Do you support the reconstruction of Datong Ancient City? In 2023, it will have been exactly 10 years since Geng Yanbo left his position as mayor of Datong. During his tenure, he strongly promoted the reconstruction of Datong Ancient City. Over the past decade, there has been ongoing controversy surrounding the restoration of the ancient city. Have you been to Datong? What are your thoughts on this matter?
Datong is one of the first nationally recognized historical and cultural cities, with a long history and rich cultural heritage resources. It has over 2,200 years of history since its establishment during the Qin and Han dynasties. As a strategic fortress during the Eastern Han and Northern Wei dynasties, the capital of the Liao and Jin dynasties, and an important town during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the city preserves a wealth of cultural relics and historic sites like Huayan Temple, Shanhua Temple, and the Nine-Dragon Screen. However, after liberation, under the pressure of urban development, the preservation of cultural relics steadily declined, with many ancient monuments and buildings being demolished or severed.
In the 1990s, as the coal economy in Datong rapidly declined, the city became devastated and seemed to be abandoned by the world. The dilapidated urban areas, rough roads, polluted living environment, and scarce public facilities created a negative impression of Datong.
In 2008, Geng Yanbo assumed the position of mayor of Datong and initiated bold urban transformation and the reconstruction of the ancient city. Over the past decade, the city's appearance has greatly improved, but controversies have also arisen.
Firstly, local residents are the biggest supporters of this project because their livelihoods have been greatly improved, which is their top concern. In 2013, when Geng Yanbo was transferred from Datong, tens of thousands of people spontaneously gathered to bid him farewell, which showed their utmost recognition of the city's transformation. Since 2013, the influence of Datong City has rapidly increased, hosting a series of large-scale events and promoting the slogan "Chinese ancient capital, a world of Datong." The sense of belonging among residents has also greatly increased.
However, opposition mainly comes from cultural heritage workers. The 2015 version of the "Guidelines for the Protection of Chinese Cultural Relics and Historic Sites" clearly states that "rebuilding of non-existing cultural relics and historic sites should not be carried out; cultural relics and historic sites should be protected in situ." Currently, there are many imitations of ancient buildings of unknown authenticity in Datong Ancient City, and many unacceptable practices are widely present in the reconstruction project. As a cultural heritage, the historical value of Datong Ancient City has been greatly diminished.
Moreover, "people-oriented" has become a consensus in the protection of cultural relics and heritage work. The reconstruction of Datong Ancient City has resulted in the relocation of a large number of indigenous people. This relocation is not about moving out 100,000 people and resettling 10,000 people, but rather moving out 100,000 people and selling the land at a high price to another 10,000 people. The current "new residents" of the ancient city are mainly engaged in business activities within the city, and the original residents have long disappeared, let alone collective memory.
Indeed, ancient China did have a tradition of reconstruction, where city walls were rebuilt when destroyed and temples were reshaped when old. However, these were practical and functional reconstructions. City walls served military purposes, and temples were the center of local beliefs. Ancient China did not have a tradition of reconstruction for the sake of protection or tourism. Functionally speaking, the Datong model is a reconstruction for exhibition and tourism, lacking the original function of the buildings.
What are your thoughts on the reconstruction of Datong Ancient City?