Research on Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond Agricultural Heritage Protection Based on the Concept of Rural Environmental Museum—Case Study on Digang Village in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province
Rui MA1, Yifei GAO2, Shuang DU3,4(), Yuxiang FAN1
1. Faculty of Art and Communication, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China 2. Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning & Design Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200092, China 3. Center for Historical Geographical Studies of Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China 4. College of Ecological Technology and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China
Since the initiation in 2002, the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) have attracted widespread attention from the international heritage community. Although the total number of GIAHS projects in China has ranked among the top in the world, most of these heritage sites still face challenges of insufficient value interpretation and presentation, as well as unsustainable protection and utilization. This research draws on the concept of rural environmental museum to establish a multi-scale protection framework for Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond GIAHS. Taking the mulberry-dyke & fish-pond agricultural heritage in Digang Village of Huzhou City in Zhejiang Province as an example, layered protection strategies were proposed considering its current status. At the macro-scale, delineate the heritage interpretation scope according to the refined regional cultural identity; at the meso-scale, build a graded facility system for heritage value display according to the determined display sequence; at the micro-scale, enhance the sense of place in daily landscapes and integrate daily community activities into heritage spaces. This path from heritage value interpretation to spatial planning can provide reference for related protection practice of other GIAHS projects.
● Theoretically established a generally applicable framework for the protection of Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond GIAHS
● Verified the practicality and effectiveness of this framework in protecting GIAHS in China
● Explored a methodology suitable for the connection between value interpretation and spatial planning of GIAHS in China, while expanding the application breadth and depth of the protection paradigm
. [J]. Landscape Architecture Frontiers, 2023, 11(6): 22-36.
Rui MA, Yifei GAO, Shuang DU, Yuxiang FAN. Research on Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond Agricultural Heritage Protection Based on the Concept of Rural Environmental Museum—Case Study on Digang Village in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Landsc. Archit. Front., 2023, 11(6): 22-36.
The mulberry-dyke & fish-pond system serves as the main source of household income in heritage areas, offering continuous job opportunities for local rural families and providing abundant, ecological, safe, and high-quality agricultural products
Agro-biodiversity
The mulberry-dyke & fish-pond system promotes biodiversity and ecological service functions; it not only maintains the diversity of genetic resources of specific plant and animal species, but also achieves "zero" environmental pollution, flood regulation and storage, and regional microclimate adjustment
Local and traditional knowledge systems
Residents in the heritage area realize sustainable development of local ecosystem via proficient breeding, grafting, cultivation, and management techniques of mulberry trees, sericulture, traditional silk reeling, and textile techniques, as well as three-dimensional ecological fish farming techniques; meanwhile, they develop lowland water conservancy projects and pond water quality control techniques to reduce the impact of disasters on the area and maintain the ecological balance and good water quality
Cultures, value systems and social organizations
The agricultural production featured with mulberry-dyke & fish-pond system breed sericulture culture and silk textile techniques, as well as related intangible cultural heritage, significantly disseminating the heritage of Silk Roads
Landscape and seascape features
Mulberry gardens and fish ponds are interconnected with and reinforced each other, forming the mulberry-dyke & fish-pond landscape; for thousands of years, local residents have constructed the drainage and irrigation systems to manage water resources for drought prevention, soil improvement, and flood control
Tab.1
Protection paradigm
Demarcation
Subject
Key element
Method
Display mode
Traditional
Based on the scope of the agricultural production system or the range of the village
Experts and local government
Traditional agricultural production systems, historic sites, protection units of cultural relics, intangible cultural heritage, etc.
Cultural relic protection, static protection
Tourism resource and tourist product display primarily to tourists
Rural environmental museum
Including living, production, and ecological spaces that fully demonstrate the heritage value together
Multiple stakeholders, primarily by local communities
All elements conducive to enhancing functions of the interaction system between human and nature
Integral protection, dynamic protection
Localized display integrated into daily life and production of local communities to both residents and tourists
Tab.2
Fig.1
Fig.2
Heritage resource category
Included elements
Display status
Utilization status
Natural environment resources
River, port, wetland, pond
No demonstration or explanation
Channel function declines and pond area decreases due to land reclamation
Settlement landscape heritage resources
Tangible cultural elements
The movable cultural relics are mainly displayed in traditional museums; immovable historic buildings and relics, and cultural relic protection units are displayed as independent points; other tangible elements are not displayed
Resource development is spatially concentrated in Lixiang Dam and Waixiang Dam
Intangible cultural elements
Mainly displayed in certain places such as Chinese brush exhibition hall, Research Institute for Fish and Mulberry Culture, Fishbone Painting Studio, and festival square in Digang Fishing Resort
Fishing Culture Festival and local cuisine are highlighted; educational tourism for adolescents are developed
Industrial landscape heritage resources
Drainage and irrigation systems, waterway and other water transportation facilities, and mulberry-dyke & fish-pond agricultural ecosystem
Protection-oriented, lack of systematic display
Ecological sightseeing is arranged around the Baisang Mulberry Garden and the Shell Bay
Traditional knowledge and techniques for agricultural production
Only displayed and interpreted at the Research Institute for Fish and Mulberry Culture in Digang Fishing Resort
The core area of the mulberry-dyke & fish-pond system retains traditional knowledge and techniques for agricultural production, but does not fully or well explore or utilize them
Tab.3
Fig.3
Fig.4
Category
Spot
Linear element
Zone
Natural environment resources
Pond
Dongtiaoxi River, Laolongxi River
Hefuyang Wetland
Settlement landscape heritage resources
Famous ancient tree, former residence of celebrities, ancient bridges, historic buildings and relics, festival square, etc.
Hangzhou–Huzhou–Wuxi Channel, drainage and irrigation system, dyke of pond
Area of traditional mulberry-dyke & fish-pond landscape and fish pond
Tab.4
Fig.5
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