Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on the Conservation of

Historic and Cultural Towns

(Adopted at the 26th Session of the Standing Committee of the 16th Shanghai Municipal People's Congress on December 30, 2025)

Chapter I  General Provisions

Article 1

With a view to strengthening the conservation of historic and cultural towns in this Municipality, carrying forward the historical and cultural heritage, stimulating development vitality, and achieving mutual reinforcement and common prosperity between the economy and culture, these Regulations are formulated in accordance with the Regulations on the Conservation of Historic and Cultural Cities, Towns and Villages and other relevant laws and administrative regulations, and in light of the actual circumstances of this Municipality.

Article 2

These Regulations shall apply to the conservation of historic and cultural towns and related activities within the administrative area of this Municipality.

Article 3

The conservation of historic and cultural towns in this Municipality shall adhere to the principles of scientific planning, strict protection, rational utilization, distinctive development, and co-governance and sharing.

Article 4

The Municipal People's Government shall strengthen leadership over the conservation of historic and cultural towns, improve the comprehensive coordination mechanism, and advance related protection efforts in a holistic manner.

District people's governments shall be responsible for the conservation of historic and cultural towns within their respective administrative areas, improve the working mechanism, and promote the implementation of relevant tasks.

Township people's governments and sub-district offices shall, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, carry out the conservation work for historic and cultural towns within their jurisdictions.

Article 5

The municipal department of housing and urban-rural development management and district people's governments shall designate historic and cultural towns conservation management departments (hereinafter referred to as the district historic and cultural town conservation management departments), which shall be responsible for the comprehensive management for the conservation of historic and cultural towns.

The cultural relics management department shall be responsible for the supervision and management of the protection of cultural relics within historic and cultural towns.

The planning and natural resources department shall be responsible for the supervision and management of territorial spatial planning, land use, and related matters pertaining to historic and cultural towns.

Departments and agencies such as development and reform, culture and tourism, housing management, ecological environment, water affairs, transportation, landscaping and city appearance, commerce, economy and informatization, market regulation, finance, urban management and law enforcement, and fire rescue shall, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, carry out work related to the conservation of historic and cultural towns.

Article 6

People's governments at all levels in this Municipality shall allocate funds for the conservation of historic and cultural towns in accordance with actual conditions and include them in their respective fiscal budgets.

Enterprises, public institutions, social organizations, individuals, and other social forces shall be encouraged and supported to participate in the conservation of historic and cultural towns through capital contributions, donations, endowments, volunteer services, and other means.

Article 7

Units and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to the conservation of historic and cultural towns shall be commended and rewarded in accordance with relevant national provisions.

Article 8

This Municipality shall strengthen coordination with relevant provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Delta region in the conservation of historic and cultural towns. Through collaborative efforts such as jointly developing the cultural brand of Jiangnan water towns, jointly applying for World Cultural Heritage status, and harmonizing relevant standards and norms, this Municipality aims to promote high-quality collaborative conservation of historic and cultural towns.

This Municipality shall advance domestic and international cooperation in the conservation of historic and cultural towns and support exchanges in various forms, including sharing conservation experiences, technological innovation, and talent cultivation.

Chapter II  Conservation Requirements

Article 9

Historic and Cultural Towns shall meet the following criteria:

1.A particularly rich collection of cultural relics is well preserved;

2. Historic buildings are concentrated in contiguous areas;

3. The traditional urban fabric and historic character are well preserved, and

4. The town historically served as a political, economic, cultural, transportation center, or military location; witnessed significant historical events; or exerted important influence on regional development through its traditional industries or major historical construction projects. Alternatively, it may embody the architectural, cultural, or ethnic characteristics of the region in a concentrated manner.

The designation, approval, and announcement of historic and cultural towns shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Regulations on the Conservation of Historic and Cultural Cities, Towns and Villages.

Article 10

District people's governments shall, in accordance with relevant national provisions, organize the formulation of a conservation plan for historic and cultural towns. The conservation plan shall reflect the distinctive features of the town, preserve the authenticity and integrity of its historical and cultural heritage, and balance the relationship between conservation and development. The plan shall specifically include the following elements:

1. conservation principles, conservation targets, scope of conservation, and conservation measures;

2. conservation zones, including core conservation areas and construction control zones;

3. development intensity and construction control requirements;

4. requirements for the conservation of the traditional urban fabric, historic character, and immovable cultural relics and historic buildings;

5. contents and measures for inheriting and promoting traditional culture and protecting intangible cultural heritage;

6. plans for upgrading infrastructure and public service facilities;

7. measures for ecological environment protection and public safety; and

8. phased implementation plan for the conservation planning.

Once approved in accordance with the law, the conservation planing shall not be altered without authorization. Where modification is indeed necessary, the relevant procedures and requirements prescribed by the State shall be followed.

Article 11

The conservation planning for historic and cultural towns shall be coordinated with the territorial spatial planning and shall be aligned with relevant special plans, including those for the conservation of historic districts, the protection and utilization of cultural relics, ecological and environmental protection, and cultural tourism development.

Article 12

Historic and cultural towns shall be conserved in an integrated matter to preserve their traditional fabric, historical features, and spatial scale. Alterations to the natural landscapes and environments that coexist with such towns are prohibited.

Article 13

No new construction or expansion activities shall be conducted within the core conservation areas of historic and cultural towns, except for the construction or expansion of necessary infrastructure and public service facilities. The construction or expansion of such necessary infrastructure and public service facilities shall be carried out in accordance with relevant procedures prescribed by the State and this Municipality.

For the construction, renovation, or expansion of buildings or structures within the construction control zones of historic and cultural towns, the development control requirements specified in the conservation planning shall be complied with. The height, massing, color, and other aspects of the buildings or structures shall be coordinated with the traditional fabric and historical features of the core conservation area.

Article 14

Buildings and structures within the conservation areas of historic and cultural towns shall be treated according to their respective conditions, with corresponding measures adopted to implement categorized protection.

Historic buildings within the core conservation area of a historic and cultural town shall be maintained and restored in accordance with the requirements of the conservation planning. Their original height, massing, external appearance, color, and other features shall be preserved, and no damage or obstruction shall be caused to the exterior appearance, structure, or components that reflect the core value of the historic buildings.

Historic buildings shall be protected on their original sites in accordance with national provisions, and shall not be relocated or demolished without authorization.

Where construction activities are required for public interest, and the relocation or demolition of historic buildings is genuinely necessary, such actions shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant national and municipal provisions and procedures.

Article 15

A system of responsible parties for the conservation of historic buildings shall be implemented within the conservation areas of historic and cultural towns.

The owner of a historic building shall be the responsible person for its conservation. For historic buildings that are state-owned and directly managed, or lawfully entrusted to housing management authorities, the housing management or operating units shall serve as the responsible parties for their conservation.

The responsible party for the conservation of a historic building shall fulfill the following conservation responsibilities:

1. carrying out routine maintenance and repairs in accordance with the specific conservation requirements for the historic building;

2. ensuring construction safety and the proper functioning of firefighting facilities and other equipment; promptly taking measures to eliminate hidden hazards or risks upon discovery of potential safety concerns or dangers, and reporting to the relevant administrative departments; and

3. cooperating with the relevant administrative departments in the management of the historic building.

Users of historic buildings shall cooperate with the responsible parties in fulfilling their conservation responsibilities.

Article 16

Historic and cultural towns shall preserve the natural form and historical features of their river courses, and reasonably arrange facilities such as ecological greening, cultural landscapes, and leisure amenities.

District people's governments shall organize and implement systematic governance of the river and lake systems within historic and cultural towns. Measures such as coordinated water-land management, interconnection of water systems, enhancement of water dynamics, and ecological restoration shall be adopted to strengthen cross-border joint protection and management of water bodies, thereby improving the ecological quality and functionality of rivers and lakes.

Article 17

Historic and cultural towns shall protect their classical gardens and historical environmental elements such as ancient and valuable trees, old wells, ancient bridges, pagodas, memorial archways, stone inscriptions, enclosing walls, covered corridors, revetments, and waterfront landings. When carrying out restoration activities for relevant historical environmental elements, priority shall be given to the traditional craftsmanship and materials.

Article 18

The installation of outdoor facilities within the conservation areas of historic and cultural towns shall comply with the requirements of relevant plannings, integrate with the historical features and cultural characteristics, and harmonize with the natural landscape and environment. Existing outdoor facilities that do not meet the requirements of relevant plannings shall be rectified within a specified time limit.

Unless otherwise provided in the territorial spatial planning, no new overhead lines shall be installed within the conservation areas of historic and cultural towns, and existing overhead lines shall be gradually relocated underground.

Article 19

Construction activities within the conservation areas of historic and cultural towns shall comply with the requirements of relevant standards and norms. Where, for the genuine purpose of conserving historic and cultural towns, building spacing, setbacks, density, facade width, green space ratio, transportation, or municipal infrastructure cannot meet the standards and norms, relevant departments shall formulate technical regulations suitable for the conservation of historic and cultural towns in accordance with the principles of environmental improvement and overall functional enhancement.

Firefighting facilities and fire lanes within the core conservation areas of historic and cultural towns shall be established in accordance with relevant fire safety technical standards and norms. If genuine conservation needs to prevent compliance with these standards and norms, the district people's government shall organize departments and agencies responsible for housing and urban-rural development management, planning and natural resources, cultural heritage management, housing management, fire and rescue, etc., to formulate a fire safety assurance plan. The municipal housing and urban-rural development management department and the municipal fire and rescue agency shall provide technical guidance for the formulation of the fire safety assurance plan.

Article 20

Where the conservation of historic and cultural towns involves the protection of cultural relics, the provisions of laws and regulations on cultural relics protection shall apply.

Chapter III  Inheritance and Utilization

Article 21

This Municipality adheres to the principle of promoting the conservation of its historic and cultural towns through inheritance and utilization. It integrates the inheritance of history and culture into economic and social development, ecological civilization construction, and modern life, leveraging the social and educational functions as well as the economic value of cultural heritage. With a focus on improving people's livelihoods, this Municipally aims to create historic towns that are rich in historical and cultural heritage, distinctive in character, and vibrant with diversity.

This Municipality advances the integration of heritage utilization and urban renewal in its historic and cultural towns. Guided by the principle of government leadership and social participation, this Municipality supports its districts in establishing construction, operation, and governance mechanisms tailored to the characteristics of historic and cultural towns. All stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the efforts of inheritance and utilization of historic and cultural towns.

Article 22

District people's governments shall organize efforts to enhance the collection, protection, organization, and research of historical and cultural resources within historic and cultural towns, promote the compilation of chronicles for these towns and explore the cultural value and spiritual significance of relevant buildings, historical figures, and historical events.

Township people's governments and sub-district offices shall, in accordance with the traditional fabric, historical features, and characteristics of the historical and cultural resources of these towns, promote the development of facilities and venues for historical and cultural publicity and exhibition, and disseminate information of these towns on the historical evolution, local products and specialties, distinctive townscape features, and customs and folk traditions.

Article 23

This Municipality shall advance the heritage and promotion of historical culture, encourage the telling of compelling stories about historic and cultural towns to enhance the influence of its historical and cultural heritage.

District people's governments shall organize efforts to strengthen the training of docents, volunteers, and tour guides. The municipal department of culture and tourism shall strengthen guidance.

Article 24

Support shall be given to representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage to conduct activities such as apprenticeship training, transmission of skills, exhibitions, dissemination, and exchanges within historic and cultural towns, thereby promoting the dynamic protection and transmission of intangible cultural heritage.

Time-honored enterprises shall be encouraged to facilitate the transmission of traditional craftsmanship and brand promotion through forms such as dynamic exhibitions, experiential workshops, and thematic study programs in historic and cultural towns.

This Municipality shall strengthen the protection of toponymic cultural heritage, and, in accordance with the law, include eligible toponymic cultural heritage in the scope of intangible cultural heritage protection.

Article 25

Support shall be given to historic and cultural towns in upgrading their tourism offerings, improving tourism service facilities and developing folk and cultural tourism products. Efforts shall be made to promote the integration of tourism in such towns with red tourism, rural tourism, ecotourism, study tourism, and technology-based tourism, foster the coordinated development of cultural leisure and tourism resources, and build high-quality cultural and leisure tourism destinations.

Article 26

The utilization of heritage buildings and historic structures for cultural heritage exhibition shall be encouraged. Support shall be provided for establishing museums, art galleries, exhibition halls, memorial halls, and similar venues within such buildings, provided that all conservation requirements are met. Additionally, thematic displays, exhibitions, as well as distinctive commercial and homestay activities shall be promoted within these premises.

Article 27

The use of modern information technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality shall be encouraged to strengthen the development and innovation of virtual exhibitions, intelligent guided tours, interactive experiences, and related products and scenarios, thereby enhancing the digital and intelligent capacity for the inheritance and utilization of historic and cultural towns.

Article 28

District people's governments shall, in accordance with the requirements of conservation plans, improve infrastructure and public service facilities such as water supply, power supply, communications, roads, fire protection, domestic waste disposal, and sewage treatment, thereby enhancing the quality of the living environment in historic and cultural towns.

The municipal relevant departments and district people's governments may, based on the conservation needs of historic and cultural towns, elevate the standards for the construction, renovation, and maintenance of infrastructure and public service facilities within the conservation areas.

Article 29

The municipal transportation department and district people's governments shall, in accordance with their respective responsibilities and duties, strengthen transportation support based on the conservation and development needs of historic and cultural towns as well as the living requirements of local residents. This includes the construction of supporting transportation facilities such as public transport transfer points and public parking lots and the development of distinctive waterborne transport so as to improve the accessibility, convenience, and comfort of transportation in historic and cultural towns.

Article 30

District people's governments shall, in accordance with conservation plannings and in consideration of the characteristics of historic and cultural towns, organize the formulation of commercial activity guidelines for these towns. These guidelines shall provide direction and regulation for the planning and layout, functional positioning, and transformation and upgrading of commercial activities, so as to prevent excessive commercialization. Units and individuals shall be guided to engage in business activities in compliance with the requirements of the conservation plannings for historic and cultural towns and in accordance with the commercial activity guidelines.

Article 31

The heritage and utilization of historic and cultural towns shall respect the lifestyle of local residents and safeguard their lawful rights and interests.

Local residents shall be encouraged to participate in activities related to the heritage and utilization of these towns through various means, such as contributing housing or capital as equity.

Township people's governments and sub-district offices shall encourage local residents to reside, seek employment, and start business within historic and cultural towns by providing employment guidance, skills training, and other supportive measures.

District people's governments shall strengthen the coordinated development between historic and cultural towns and their surrounding areas. Efforts shall be made to promote the interconnection of infrastructure, joint development and sharing of public service facilities, systematic protection of the ecological environment, exchanges and cooperation in culture and tourism, complementary and synergistic development of commercial activities, thus to facilitate functional linkages and integrated resource allocation across the region.

Chapter IV  Safeguards and Oversight

Article 33

The municipal and district people's governments, along with their relevant departments, shall improve relevant policy measures, strengthen resource coordination, and comprehensively leverage policies related to planning, land use, finance, and funding to enhance support for the conservation of historic and cultural towns.

Article 34

By leveraging the integrated government affair service platform such as "Government Online-Offline Shanghai", the urban operations platform as "Integrated Online Management", and the big data resource platform, this Municipality shall strengthen data sharing between departments and agencies of housing and urban-rural development management, cultural heritage management, planning and natural resources, as well as those overseeing culture and tourism, housing management, ecology and environment, water affairs, transportation, landscaping and city appearance, market regulation, urban management and law enforcement, fire and rescue services, and relevant bodies, thus to optimize government services, promote operational collaboration, advance intelligent management, and enhance the conservation standards of historic and cultural towns.

Article 35

District people's governments shall, based on the conservation needs of historic and cultural towns, organize the formulation of security safeguard plans, conduct regular drills, and comprehensively apply personnel-based, physical, and technical security measures to enhance overall security capacity.

District people's governments shall organize relevant departments to establish mechanisms for managing a large passenger-flow response mechanism. This includes installing crowd early-warning devices at key spatial nodes within historic and cultural towns, implementing dynamic monitoring, reporting, and alerting of visitor flows, and promptly releasing relevant information. Where necessary, emergency measures such as visitor flow restrictions and diversion shall be implemented in accordance with the law.

Township people's governments and sub-district offices shall strengthen publicity and guidance to residents and businesses on the safe use of electricity, gas, and other utilities.

Article 36

the municipal and district people's governments and their relevant departments shall leverage the expertise of specialists in architecture, cultural heritage, planning, history, culture, society, and economics and shall solicit their opinions in decision-making on matters regarding the designation and approval of historic and cultural towns, the preparation of conservation plannings, the formulation of standards and technical specifications, the approval of construction activities, and the integrated development of culture and tourism.

Article 37

This Municipality shall establish and improve a public participation mechanism for the conservation of historic and cultural towns, and shall safeguard the right of the public to be informed, to participate, to express opinions, and to supervise in accordance with the law.

For major matters related to the conservation of historic and cultural towns, relevant departments shall give priority to soliciting opinions from local residents and businesses, and shall adopt methods to broadly seek public opinions.

Article 38

Township people's governments and sub-district offices shall strengthen routine inspections of the conservation status of historic and cultural towns. Where violations are identified, they shall be addressed in accordance with the law or reported to the relevant authorities.

Residents' committees and villagers' committees shall be encouraged to guide residents and villagers to actively participate in the conservation of historic and cultural towns through instruments such as residential covenants and village conventions.

Businesses within historic and cultural towns shall be encouraged to adopt self-governance practices by formulating self-disciplinary rules and service standards, thus to promote the enhancement of commercial offerings and shared development.

Article 39

The municipal department of housing and urban-rural development management, together with the district historic and cultural town conservation management departments, shall, in accordance with relevant national and municipal provisions, strengthen the supervision and inspection of the implementation of conservation plannings for such towns and conduct assessments of their conservation status. Any issues identified shall be promptly rectified and addressed.

The district historic and cultural town conservation management departments shall, in collaboration with relevant departments, establish and improve a mechanism for the routine inspection and management of conservation work, so as to promptly detect and eliminate potential risks in the conservation and management process.

Article 40

Any unit or individual who discovers violations of the provisions for the conservation of historic and cultural towns shall have the right to file a complaint or report to the relevant administrative departments. The relevant administrative departments shall investigate and handle the matter promptly according to their respective responsibilities.

Article 41

Acts in violation of the provisions of these Regulations shall be dealt with in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Where relevant administrative departments or their staff members are found to have committed acts of dereliction of duty, abuse of power, or malpractice for personal gain in the conservation of historic and cultural towns, the directly responsible chiefs and other directly liable persons shall be subject to disciplinary sanctions in accordance with the law; if a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.

Chapter V  Supplementary Provision

Article 42

These Regulations shall be effective as of March 1, 2026.