Effective measures needed for ancient towns: deputies

The Dukezong Ancient Town, known for well-preserved Tibetan homes in Shangri-la county of Yunnan province, lost nearly 300 houses, or two-thirds of the entire town, after a fire broke out on Jan 11. Li Shanming / for China Daily

Deputies to the National People's Congress have called for effective measures to protect ancient towns from damage by fire following several blazes in recent months.

Through 2013 and early 2014, several towns and historic sites in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces were gutted by fire, with traditional wooden structures particularly affected.

In June, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Finance issued a list of 646 renowned Chinese towns and villages worthy of protection.

Among them were by 62 ancient towns and villages in Yunnan, highlighting the province's particular wealth of traditional living spaces. Many of them are located along the South Silk Road and the Ancient Tea and Horse Road, which acted as trade links with China's neighbors, including India, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

Together, they represent a great wealth of culturally significant architecture. However, since many of the buildings are made of wood, they are particularly vulnerable to fire.

On Jan 11, a huge fire broke out in the ancient Tibetan town of Dukezong in the Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture. Nearly 300 houses and shops, most of them wooden, were destroyed. It was the worst fire in the 1,300-year history of Dukezong, with two-thirds of the town gutted.

Huang Zhenghong, head of Diqing and also an NPC deputy, said the local government has established a plan to rebuild the Tibetan-style residences in the conservation area by the end of this year. The government hopes to have fully rebuilt the town within three years.

"It was sad and a pity that the blaze devastated the town of Dukezong, resulting in a huge loss of traditional Tibetan culture and properties," Huang said.

In a previous interview, Li Gang, the director of the Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture historical relics preservation agency, said, "The value of Dukezong lies in its architecture and functional integrity. The fire destroyed the pattern of the town that was laid down in ancient times and is a fatal blow to research in the region and to traditional culture."

Huang said the reconstruction must be completed in strict accordance with the original architectural features.

However, he said that new materials would replace wood in the reconstruction efforts, to reduce the risk of future fires, although the traditional appearance of the buildings would be recreated.

Another fire hit a traditional village in Qiandongnan prefecture, Guizhou province, in late January. More than 100 houses in a 300-year-old village populated by the Dong ethnic group were destroyed.

The village was one of 225 ancient towns and villages in Qiandongnan that are at particular risk of fire due to the wooden materials used and the small distances between them.

Liao Fei, head of Qiandongnan prefecture, said that current firefighting facilities in such areas do not work and the streets are too narrow for fire trucks.

According to a study by the prefecture government, about 40 percent of the fires in rural areas are caused by old electric wiring.

Liao said wires that run through historic areas should be updated and new houses in those areas should be fitted with fire control equipment such as smoke detectors and sprinklers.

He Hua is an NPC deputy and head of Dali Bai autonomous prefecture in Yunnan, which is famous for its 1,200-year-old ancient town.

"In the process of urbanization, old villages and towns remain popular because people love the past. So we must attach more importance to the heritage left by our ancestors," he said.

The fire that destroyed two-thirds of Dukezong was a warning to Dali, he said.

"The protection of wooden villages must be a long-term and energy-consuming venture. Dali has been checking for safety risks and potential dangers in fire control," said the NPC deputy.

Local authorities must upgrade the infrastructure of such historic places while preserving their historic features, he said, adding that it is down to governments to provide funding for such measures.

"People must become more aware of fire control issues, and we also need a sense of urgency with regard to keeping an eye on facilities such as fire extinguishers on a daily basis. Otherwise, one tiny act of neglect could have irreversible consequences."