Conversion of historic sites into restaurants in Gansu stirs public outrage Photo: Screenshot from CCTV

Local authorities in Tianshui, Northwest China's Gansu Province have taken strict actions to investigate acts of negligence and dereliction of duty after state broadcaster CCTV exposed that many historic buildings in the ancient city have been commercialized, with one transformed into a Japanese-style restaurant, which has sparked online outrage.

The response includes checking and fixing safety hazards citywide, training heritage-related legal knowledge for businesses and disciplinary agencies supervising duty implementation.

The measures came after a Saturday CCTV report unveiled that one of the historic building sites from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1644-1911) located in Tianshui, had been transformed into a Japanese restaurant, which has caused widespread public anger and prompted discussions about the preservation of cultural relics.

According to the CCTV report, the central courtyard and elevated platforms of one of the ancient buildings, once adorned with Chinese decorations, are now covered with wooden boards that have transformed traditional Chinese aesthetic into Japanese ambiance. Two Japanese-style structures have also been added to the western wing of the historic cultural site.

Huang Guoxiang, an expert specializing in the restoration of historic dwellings and former special consultant to Tianshui, told CCTV that the addition of modifications that alter the traditional architecture of ancient courtyards is not permitted. Thanks to the changes, rainwater will splash onto the pillars on rainy days, accelerating their decay, he noted, adding that this damage is "irreversible."

He said that he had flagged issues with the renovation of this site at the end of last year. Despite multiple appeals for corrective measures, the management responsible for Tianshui ancient city disregarded his concerns and allowed the Japanese restaurant to open as planned.

Tianshui is known for possessing a relatively large and well-preserved cluster of residential courtyards from the Ming and Qing dynasties. In order to salvage these ancient structures, which have suffered varying degrees of damage over time, local authorities initiated a protective effort in the area to revive 29 heritage courtyards. 

From 2015 to 2021, local authorities allocated over 888 million yuan (121.9 million) for the preservation of the ancient city, according to data from the local financial bureau. However, within less than two years, many of the restored courtyards were repurposed for commercial use and became venues for tourist consumption. Only three of the preserved courtyards remain open to the public for free.

The related hashtag "Gansu cultural relic turns into Japanese restaurant" began trending on China's Twitter-like popular platform Sina Weibo, garnering over 48 million by Sunday. Many internet users expressed their anger and concern. 

"We should restore the ancient architecture in our own authentic style from that era. We don't need to blindly follow trends, because our original style was already good enough," one Sina Weibo user commented.

Another netizen echoed this sentiment, saying, "You can appreciate a Japanese-style restaurant, you can build a new one in that style, but you shouldn't have tarnished China's cultural relics and ancient architecture."

The controversy also raises questions about the regulatory approval process for such modifications. Some citizens voiced their dismay at the apparent lack of oversight, suggesting that flagrant alterations like these should not have gone unnoticed.

The CCTV report also exposed that another cultural relic site in the ancient city has been repurposed into a restaurant serving food and tea. The painstakingly restored column now holds a fingerprint-scanning device for check-ins, and a modern steel kitchen has been added to the backyard.

Besides this, the actual business operations in the courtyards do not match the information provided in their applications, according to the report. Examples of discrepancies included businesses originally designated for selling teapot being transformed into private dining establishments, traditional taverns being changed into hotpot restaurants, and tea houses being converted into regular eateries.

In the absence of proper oversight, several cultural heritage courtyards in the ancient city underwent unauthorized renovations and were turned into restaurants, leading to increased fire hazards.

At a restaurant, customers use open flames from gas stoves to cook food, including in kitchens using liquefied gas. Similar issues were present in various other restaurants, which could lead to uncontrollable fires and widespread destruction if not properly contained, according to the report.

Global Times