Page 33 - JCAU-4-1

The Relocation of Zhang Fei’s Temple Zhu and Li

it bears witness and from the setting in The second plan was to move the Temple
which it occurs. The moving of all or to a higher place from the original position
part of a monument cannot be allowed to avoid the flood line, so that the Temple as
except where the safeguarding of that a whole would remain on the Flying Phoenix
monument demands it or where it is Mountain. This plan well maintained the
justified by national or international original historical environment, but due to
interest of paramount importance.” 7 the opposite Yunyang Town moving away,
Due to the construction of the Three General Zhang Fei’s Temple would lose its
Gorges Dam project, and to avoid flood, traditional connection with the local people.
the State Council decided that the whole The third plan proposed that Zhang
Yunyang Town needed to be relocated. Fei’s Temple should be relocated to 32 km
The new Yunyang Town was to be rebuilt upstream of the Yangtze River, along with
32 km upstream, and almost all residents the Yunyang Town, so as to maintain the
needed to move to the new town to settle. historical spatial relationship with the New
As an important national cultural property, Town over the River. The plan maintained
General Zhang Fei’s Temple stands by the the historical relationship between the
Yangtze River and integrates with the steep Temple and the local residents, which was
hillsides and vegetation with a history of conducive to maintaining the local traditional
more than 1,000 years. It has become a culture, but it would lose the authenticity of
famous landscape of the Yangtze River. the original historical environment forever.
Therefore, according to the principle of In the discussion of the three different
heritage protection, General Zhang Fei’s relocation plans, which were all based
Temple cannot leave its original position. on value evaluations of cultural heritage,
As the Venice Charter says: “The sites which value was the key to guiding the
of monuments must be the object of final decision? In the three discussions, the
special care in order to safeguard their key point was how to view the protection
integrity and ensure that they are cleared of the historical setting of cultural heritage.
and presented in a seemly manner.” 8 Was the original physical environment
Most experts insisted that General Zhang (historical environment) more important,
Fei’s Temple should be left on its original or was the cultural tradition (intangible
site. However, the local government cultural environment) related to the Temple
expressed the hope that Zhang Fei’s Temple more important? Should the authenticity of
should be relocated with them to the new the historical environment include both the
Yunyang Town. To this end, the Government physical environment and the traditions of
organized experts and local representatives to the cultural spirit? From the physical value
discuss it, and they came up with three plans of the historical setting, General Zhang Fei’s
on how to move the Temple. Temple is highly integrated with the steep
The first suggestion was to include the Flying Phoenix Mountain and the dense
relocation of the Temple in the reconstruction woods into a beautiful landscape. After more
plan of the new Yunyang Town, which was than a thousand years, General Zhang Fei’s
the lowest cost plan. Almost every expert Temple has become an integral part of the
disagreed with this plan, as it completely overall environment. However, if the old
failed to take into account the previous town of Yunyang on the opposite side were
historical setting of the Temple, and it did not to be abandoned due to the possibility of
respect the important values of the original flooding, people would migrate upstream
site and environment of the heritage [Figure 7]. to the new town of Yunyang. The historical

7 Article 7, the Venice Charter, ICOMOS, 1964.
8 Article 14, The Venice Charter, ICOMOS, 1964.

AccScience Publishing 8