This thesis critically examines the evolution of landscape heritage conservation in China through an in-depth case study of West Lake and its landscape in Hangzhou. Rather than offering a linear historical account, the study investigates how changing policies, political regimes, and social dynamics have shaped both the material landscape and its perceived cultural values. Drawing on Chinese philosophical traditions, particularly the notion of harmony between humans and nature, it analyses the lake area’s transformation from a hydraulic and aesthetic resource into a contested heritage site situated at the intersection of global heritage frameworks and local cultural narratives.
The research adopts a multi-scalar approach, exploring the interactions between national heritage governance, international institutional standards, and grassroots participation. It highlights the tensions between Western-centric conservation ideologies embedded in the World Heritage system and the Sinicised interpretation of authenticity, restoration, and collective memory. Particular attention is given to how citizens have contributed to the conservation and transformation of the landscape through everyday practices, contestation, and symbolic engagement.
Through archival research, policy analysis, and case-based interpretation, the study argues that heritage conservation in China is a dynamic and politicised process. It is shaped by continuous negotiation among various actors and institutions, driven by state-building imperatives, economic development agendas, and local attachments. West Lake and its landscape, as a culturally and historically layered space, exemplifies the shifting meanings of heritage in a globalised world, and offers critical insights into the future of inclusive and context-sensitive heritage governance.
