The Values of Gulangyu World Cultural Heritage

This book explores the core value of Gulangyu’s historical environment, using outstanding universal value and Sino-foreign cultural exchange as the framing aspects, based on the requirements for Gulangyu being recognized as a World Heritage Site. Using the existing historical buildings and sketches as prototypes, the book provides a scholarly discussion on China’s modern urban architecture and the ways in which its historical environment has been transformed, especially the reuse of design in its modern urban architecture, explored in six case studies on Gulangyu.

Qing Mei is a Professor of Architectural History and Architectural Conservation at the Department of Architecture, Tongji University, Shanghai, China. She is also a doctoral supervisor on Architectural History & Theory, Architectural Heritage and Conservation.

She received her Ph.D. from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her academic interests focus on overseas Chinese architecture – particular Chinese building types: the Chinese garden, temple and huiguan, which spread from China to countries along the Maritime Silk Road. Her publications include her most recent book Home in the Dream (2012) and a paper “The Colors of Home” (2013). She has received various honors, including Excellent Teaching Awards, Overseas Chinese Research Awards, the China Post-Doctor Award, Pujiang Talents Award, George R. Collins Award from the SAH, and the J. Paul Getty Trust’s GRI Connecting Art History Award 2013-2014. In recent years, Mei Qing has taught architectural history, historic conservation and design studio at Tongji University, China. She has also established close connections with the ARC (Alliance of Religion and Conservation), ICOMOS China, ICOMOS SBH and WHC UNESCO, as well as universities, research organizations and institutes.