La pratica conservativa in contesti in rapido sviluppo tra restauro, ripristino e riqualificazione. Il Da Ming Palace National Heritage Park di Xi’an (Shaanxi, Cina)

In a context of rapid development such as the Chinese one, the policies of preservation of traditional architectural heritage weigh heavily, directly affecting the preservation of cultural heritage. The traditional historical buildings as well as the urban layout of the ancient city are constantly threatened by a modernisation which carries the image of miraculous economic boom. The Government believes that the restoration development projects in the ancient city must generate profit and believes as well in the symbolic importance of the new urban development projects.Cultural tourism has now been added to the main issues of development in China because it creates jobs and therefore fosters economic growth. These reasonings guide the projects concerning historical heritage, which are often carried out through operations of tabula rasa of entire urban contexts, wiping out stratifications and cancelling the spirit of places.