Traditional Chinese villages in urgent need of preservation

Another cause for concern among experts is "destruction in the course of renovation". In some ancient villages, after the wooden pillars of an old house were damaged by termites, villagers do not have money to buy wood but instead use concrete columns for its reparation. In this way, the original structure of the architecture is compromised.

It is therefore a matter of great urgency to overcome the difficulties in the preservation of traditional villages by integrating resourcesand spending funds more effectively.

Nowadays, cultural tourism has been introduced to many ancient villages in the less developed areas and it has brought economic benefits to local people.

Su Youquan, an official from Fujian Provincial Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said that economic benefits, as an outcome of cultural tourism, stimulate the local villagers' protection awareness about ancient architecture and strengthen their sense of pride in traditional culture, which in turn promotes the protection of their village.

However, experts also emphasized that tourism development should not be carried out at the expense of damage to the original features and appearance of the traditional villages.

In Chaji village in Jing county of Anhui province, the construction of tourist facilities has been built on the periphery of the ancient village to retain its pastoral landscape.

Meanwhile, in Wuyuan county of Jiangxi province, the construction of new residential houses should strictly follow the government planning graph to make sure the features of buildings are consistent with that of the ancient villages.

Besides, some experts also suggest that the protection of the folk culture should be given equal attention in the preservation of ancient villages, because the intangible cultural heritage is the soul.

The preservation of traditional Chinese villages is an urgent matter; it should not just be a government-led effort, the masses are encouraged to join this cause, some experts said.