Recognizing historic buildings as an important carrier of a city’s history and culture, the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government recently released the city’s 3rd batch of designated historic buildings, placing 16 sites under protection, including the Meng Family Courtyard at 37 Haibo Road in Shibei District and the former Donglai Bank building at 21 and 23 Henan Road in Shinan District. To date, Qingdao has designated a total of 353 historic buildings across the city.

Renowned architect I. M. Pei once said, “A city, far from being a cluster of buildings, is actually a sequence of spaces enclosed and defined by buildings.” With architecture’s additional function to record a city’s rise and prosperity, Qingdao’s distinctive architectural forms and spatial fabric have given rise to a rich commercial culture, urban culture, and everyday street culture to reflect the city’s unique local character and way of life.

Century-old courtyard compounds such as Guangxingli Courtyard, the once-prominent Meng Family Mansion, and the Taixingli Courtyard complexes are increasingly returning to public view. They have become important spaces for longtime residents to revisit memories, for new residents to learn about the city, and for visitors to experience Qingdao’s architectural culture. “The city recognizes that historic and cultural districts and historic buildings are the accumulation of history and the crystallization of culture, and constitute important cultural heritage,” said an official from the Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. The city administration will continue to uphold the principle of protection first with rational use while systematically advancing the preservation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Efforts will include deeper resource surveys, standardized designation and protection, and innovative reuse approaches to guide historic buildings to integrate into modern life and serve public needs so that the city’s cultural lineage remains visible, tangible, and sustainable for the purpose of achieving a healthy balance between preservation and development.