Global mayors laud innovative heritage conservation practices in E China's Nanjing

A delegation attending the Global Mayors Dialogue in Nanjing visits the Nanjing City Wall Museum in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. (People's Daily Online/Liu Yijia)

Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, recently captured global attention for its innovative approaches to cultural heritage conservation.

The Global Mayors Dialogue in Nanjing, themed "Flowing Rivers, Converging Future," kicked off on Nov. 19, bringing mayors and representatives from countries including Brunei, Egypt, Germany and Italy to several of the city's tourist attractions and landmarks.

A tour of the Nanjing City Wall Museum and Zhonghuamen Gate, a barbican that forms part of the ancient city wall, offered participants firsthand insights into Nanjing's innovative practices in preserving and revitalizing its cultural legacy.

One conservation program, featuring extensive public participation in protecting the ancient city wall, particularly intrigued foreign visitors during the tour.

Photo shows ancient city wall bricks exhibited in the Nanjing City Wall Museum in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. (People's Daily Online/Liu Yijia)

Launched by the Nanjing City Wall Protection and Management Center in 2016, the program, titled "Bring Every Brick Home," encourages residents to report clues about missing bricks and assist in their recovery, creating a pioneering model of public engagement in heritage conservation.

In 2023, the program received the Star of Discovery award at the Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovation Cases (AWHEIC), presented by the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO.

For Alessandro Rapinese, mayor of Como, Italy, the visit marked an important beginning.

"Understanding is the first step, and I completed my first step here," he said.

City walls reflect the history of urban construction and represent rare historical heritage, he added, emphasizing that urban renewal must be based on full respect for historical structures.

Only by understanding history, Rapinese said, can people build a better future.

Over the next few days, the delegation is expected to continue exploring Nanjing's cultural landmarks, including the Laomendong historic and cultural block, the Jiangtun reading room (a Yangtze finless porpoise-themed science popularization venue), and the Nanjing World Literature Hall, gaining a deeper understanding of the development achievements of this ancient riverside capital.