Shanghai's bamboo teahouse renovation gets UNESCO award
Shanghai's Helou Xuan Conservation Project, which restored the beloved bamboo Helou Xuan teahouse, received the Award of Merit and Special Recognition for Sustainable Development at the 2024 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in Bangkok on Dec 6.
The awards were established by UNESCO in 2000 to recognize the efforts of individuals or organizations that have successfully restored and conserved structures and buildings of heritage value in the Asia-Pacific region.
Among 52 entries, eight received recognition this year, including three from China.
The other two Chinese projects were the Guanyin Hall Teahouse Conservation Project in Chengdu, Sichuan province, and the Gunan Street Historic Block Conservation Project in Yixing, Jiangsu province.
The Helou Xuan teahouse is located within a bamboo forest in the southeast corner of Fangta Garden in Shanghai's Songjiang district. Built in 1986, it is the last work and is regarded as being one of the most important works of Feng Jizhong (1915-2009), a pioneer of modern Chinese architecture.
The bamboo structure of the Helou Xuan teahouse is celebrated for its natural beauty. However, after serving as a scenic teahouse for over 30 years, the structure gradually fell into disrepair.
The restoration project of Helou Xuan was initiated in December 2021 and completed on Sept 30, 2022. The project was honored as an outstanding example project for the protection of architectural heritage in Shanghai in 2023 by the municipal authorities for cultural relics protection.
The bamboo pavilion of Helou Xuan may be the only existing historical building in China with a bamboo structure. There was no precedent for the protection and restoration of such historical buildings.
The restoration team conducted in-depth research on Feng's architectural philosophy and historical materials. They combined renewable materials such as bamboo and thatch, with modern engineering techniques for the restoration of the minimalist structure.
These efforts not only preserved the original appearance of Helou Xuan but also established a relatively complete digital archive and accumulated valuable experience in the restoration of bamboo structures.
Source: Official WeChat account of Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism at "shanghaitourism"