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The Relocation of Zhang Fei’s Temple Zhu and Li

Figure 7. The relationship between the old and the new site. Source: Drawing by Bowen Li

connection between General Zhang Fei’s Aspects of the sources may include form
Temple and the ancient town and people and design, materials and substance, use
would no longer exist. According to the and function, traditions and techniques,
value assessment, the importance of General location and setting, and spirit and feeling,
Zhang Fei’s Temple included not only the and other internal and external factors.” 9
magnificent ancient buildings, but also a Sometimes it would be better to view the
large number of local religious beliefs and Temple as an old man with a long history
cultural activities related to General Zhang and good health rather than a historic relic.
Fei’s Temple. For example, the local people Therefore, moving the Temple along with
often cross the Yangtze River by boat to the people was good for the conservation of
worship General Zhang Fei and pray for these precious cultural values, which could
safety and health. All of these local cultural be regarded as a kind of safeguarding the
and religious activities were important and authenticity of traditional spirit and beliefs,
became a series of significant factors in the and the authenticity of cultural qualities of
continuous vitality of General Zhang Fei’s historical environment [Figure 8].
Temple as a national cultural property. As the With the three relocation plans
Nara Documents suggest :” Authenticity discussed, many experts realized that the
[8]
judgements may be linked to the worth of relocation was not just about moving a series
a great variety of sources of information. of ancient buildings, but more about how

9 Item 13, The Nara Document on Authenticity, ICOMOS, 1994.

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