Regulation on the Protection of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities, Towns and Villages (2017 Revision)

Regulation on the Protection of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities, Towns and Villages (2017 Revision) Regulation on the Protection of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities, Towns and Villages (Promulgated by the Order No. 524 of the State Council on April 22, 2008; and amended in accordance with the Decision of the State Council to Amend Certain Administrative Regulations by the Order No. 687 of the State Council on October 7, 2017) Chapter I General Principles Article 1 This Regulation is formulated for the purpose of strengthening the protection and administration of famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages and inheriting the outstanding historical and cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. Article 2 This Regulation shall apply to the application, approval, planning and protection of famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages. Article 3 The protection of famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages shall be consistent with the principle of scientific planning and strict protection, so as to maintain and continue their traditional patterns and historical styles and features, safeguard the authenticity and integrity of historical and cultural heritage, inherit and carry forward the outstanding historical and cultural heritage of the Chinese nation and correctly handle the relationship between the economic and social development and the historical and cultural heritage protection. Article 4 The state shall give necessary monetary support for the protection of famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages. The local people's governments at or above the county level where any famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages are located shall arrange protection funds based on their own actualities, and incorporate the protection funds into the treasury budget of the corresponding levels. The state shall encourage enterprises, public institutions, social groups and individuals to participate in the protection of famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages. Article 5 The construction administrative department under the State Council shall, jointly with the cultural heritage administrative department under the State Council, be responsible for protecting, supervising and administering the famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages across the country. The local people's governments at various levels shall be responsible for protecting, supervising and administering the famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages within their respective administrative areas. Article 6 The people's governments at or above the county level and their relevant departments shall commend and give awards to those entities and individuals that have made outstanding achievements in the protection of famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages according to the relevant provisions of the state. Chapter II Application and Approval Article 7 A city, town or village meeting the following conditions may apply for being a famous historical and cultural city, town or village: 1. The cultural relics preserved there are particularly rich; 2. The historical buildings there are clustered; 3. The traditional pattern and the historical style and features are preserved there; and 4. It has ever been a political, economic, cultural, transportation center or an important military place in the history, or has gone through any important historical events, or its traditional industries or major projects built in the history have ever produced important influences on the development of the local place, or it is able to collectively reflect the cultural or ethnical features of local buildings. For the application for being a famous historical and cultural city, there shall be two or more historical and cultural blocks within the protection scope of the famous historical and cultural city under application. Article 8 To apply for being a famous historical and cultural city, town or village, the following materials about the famous historical and cultural city, town or village under application shall be submitted: 1. descriptions on history and development, local characteristics and historical and cultural value; 2. status quo of traditional patterns and historical styles and features; 3. protection scope; 4. lists of immovable cultural relics, historical buildings, historical and cultural blocks; and 5. conditions of protection work, protection objectives and protection requirements. Article 9 To apply for being a famous historical and cultural city, the people's government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government shall file an application. The construction administrative department under the State Council shall, jointly with the cultural heritage administrative department under the State Council, organize relevant departments and experts for demonstration, put forward the examination opinions and submit them to the State Council for approval and announcement. To apply for being a famous historical and cultural town or village, the local people's government at the county level shall file an application. The protection administrative department determined by the people's government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government shall, jointly with the cultural heritage administrative department at the same level, organize relevant departments and experts for demonstration, put forward the examination opinions and submit them to the people's government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government for approval and announcement. Article 10 For any city that meets the conditions provided for in Article 7 of this Regulation but has not applied for being a famous historical and cultural city, the construction administrative department under the State Council may, jointly with the cultural heritage administrative department under the State Council, bring forward a suggestion to the people's government of the local province or autonomous region that it should make an application; or may directly bring forward a suggestion to the State Council on determining this city as a famous historical and cultural city if the local provincial people's government still fails to make application. For a town or village that meets the conditions provided for in Article 7 of this Regulation but has not applied for being a famous historical and cultural town or village, the protection administrative department determined by the people's government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government may, jointly with the cultural heritage administrative department at the same level, bring forward a suggestion to the people's government of the county where the town or village is located that it should make an application; or may directly bring forward a suggestion to the people's government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government on determining this town or village as a famous historical and cultural town or village if the people's government of the local county still fails to make application. Article 11 The construction administrative department under the State Council may, jointly with the cultural heritage administrative department under the State Council, select some famous historical and cultural towns and villages with important historical, cultural and scientific value from the famous historical and cultural towns and villages that have been approved and announced strictly according to the relevant evaluation standards of the state, and upon the experts' demonstration, determine them as China's famous historical and cultural towns and villages. Article 12 For the famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages that have been approved and announced, if their historical and cultural value is seriously impaired due to inadequate protection, the approval departments thereof shall incorporate them into the endangered list, announce the endangered list, and order the people's governments of the local cities and counties to take remedial measures within a time limit to prevent deterioration of conditions, improve the protection system and reinforce the protective work. Chapter III Protection Planning Article 13 After a famous historical and cultural city has been approved and announced, the people's government thereof shall organize the formulation of protection planning for the famous historical and cultural city. After a famous historical and cultural town or village has been approved and announced, the local people's government at the county level shall organize the formulation of protection planning for the famous historical and cultural town or village. The formulation of protection planning shall be completed within one year after the famous historical and cultural city, town or village has been approved and announced. Article 14 The protection planning shall contain the following contents: 1. protection principles, protection contents and protection scope; 2. protection measures, development intensity and construction control requirements; 3. requirements for protection of traditional pattern, historical style and features; 4. core protection scope and constru......