“Many historic residences in Tanhualin are severely damaged; without protection, they may deteriorate beyond recognition.” A history enthusiast in Wuchang's Tanhualin recently reported. Yesterday, reporters visited some historic buildings in Tanhualin, and their state of disrepair was lamentable. The Wuchang District Culture and Tourism Company stated that the ownership of Tanhualin's old residences is complex and development funds are lacking, making protection efforts extremely difficult. Li Chang'an, a deputy to the Wuhan Municipal People's Congress and a professor at China University of Geosciences, called for urgent protection of some old buildings in Tanhualin, otherwise Wuhan's cultural heritage resources would be ruined.

　　Visit

　　Former residences of Xinhai Revolution celebrities once suffered fires

　　Yesterday, reporters went to Tanhualin and walked back and forth along the 1.2-kilometer road but could not find the former residences of Xinhai Revolution celebrities Xu Yuanyuan and Xia Douyin. Inquiring along the way about the location of Xu Yuanyuan's villa, four residents who had lived there for half a century looked bewildered, and nearby shopkeepers also shook their heads. A history-loving resident advised reporters, “Don't go look; it's so dilapidated you can't recognize anything.”

　　Guided by the resident, reporters entered a small alley opposite Renji Hospital and found Xu Yuanyuan's villa, but a locked iron gate separated the villa from view. The gatekeeper told reporters that a scavenger had once lit a fire inside the villa for warmth, causing a fire, and since then the villa has not been allowed to be approached.

　　The gatekeeper opened the gate, and the scene was lamentable: fallen leaves covered the courtyard, weeds grew rampant on the steps and beside the building, discarded furniture was scattered on the ground, and only two tall magnolias in front of the door showed the owner's former glory.

　　The villa's red door was tightly locked, one door panel was tottering, and through the broken glass window on the door, door pillars, wooden boards, bottles, and clothing were seen scattered on the floor, with a pungent smell of dust wafting from inside.

　　“It really should be fixed up.” Yang Hui, a staff member of the Tanhualin community in Liangdao Street, Wuchang District, said: “If not cleaned, weeds grow wildly and can cover the steps and walls. The community now regularly cleans every two months, but it still can't change the dilapidated condition.”

　　Going around the backyard of Xu Yuanyuan's villa and climbing Phoenix Hill, reporters found Xia Douyin's former residence in front of a vegetable plot. Outside the residence, weeds and vines were intertwined, the red tile roof was half destroyed, cement was peeling off, wooden beams were exposed, and a green Roman column lay on the ground with exquisite carvings still clearly visible on the capital. Xia Douyin's former residence was once a famous “high-end villa” in Tanhualin, but now its glory has faded.

　　The Jiangxia dwellings, which showcase Wuchang's local features and era characteristics, are in a similarly bad situation. The stone carving “Heavenly Official Bestows Blessings” on the porch is now blurred, the white walls are peeling, and the wooden pillars are rotten. Residents renting there have even randomly nailed nails into the door pillars, laid floors, and built tap water pools. The century-old house has completely lost its original appearance.

　　Causes

　　Complex ownership relations and lack of development funds

　　Ren Sheng, head of the Planning and Publicity Department of the Wuchang District Culture and Tourism Company, introduced that among the 52 historical relics in Tanhualin, 23 are in use by units, and about half of the old residences are in serious disrepair and urgently need maintenance and protection.

　　During this year's Wuhan Two Sessions, Li Chang'an urgently appealed to Mayor Tang Liangzhi: if some old buildings in Tanhualin are not protected more urgently, Wuhan's cultural heritage resources will be ruined.

　　Yesterday, Li Chang'an said that the ownership of the outstanding historic buildings in Tanhualin is complex. The Wuchang District Government currently only has the right to use four properties, including the former Party School of the Electronic Industry Bureau, Shi Ying's Former Residence, the Missionary Apartments, and the Third Department of the Kuomintang, as well as the lease rights to some houses of the Xinhua Instrument Factory and the Christian Chongzhen Church.

　　“Except for a small portion belonging to the government, these old residences have too many ownership relations.” Regarding the property rights of Tanhualin's old residences, Ren Sheng also agreed, saying that the 52 historical relics belong to more than ten units, including the military, churches, universities, and civil affairs departments.

　　The complex ownership units also directly lead to huge maintenance and development funds. Ren Sheng introduced that the repair of Tanhualin's old residences is mainly funded by the government. Li Chang'an once conducted a survey: a property in the Swedish Concession in Tanhualin is currently rented to 56 households. If the government purchases its property rights, it would require about 30 million yuan. There are still 14 similar places, with 127 households awaiting relocation.

　　Outlook

　　Tanhualin's “final version” development plan to be released next month

　　In 2004, since the Wuhan municipal and district governments officially launched the rescue and protection of the Tanhualin Historical and Cultural Block, the “Tanhualin Historical Block Protection and Utilization Control Plan” was formulated and issued. In recent years' Wuhan Two Sessions, deputies to the People's Congress and members of the CPPCC have successively proposed bills on protecting Tanhualin, and the Wuchang District has also repeatedly written “accelerating the renovation of the Tanhualin historical block” into the government work report. However, ten years have passed, and the situation of protecting Tanhualin's historic old residences remains severe.

　　Now, Tanhualin is home to more than 80 cultural and art enterprises, most of which use old residences as rented spaces. Li Chang'an pointed out that the development and positioning of Tanhualin's cultural and art industry lack a clear and definite overall plan, theoretical research is relatively lagging, and the existing cultural industry has not yet formed an industrial chain integrating training, design, creation, and sales.

　　Li Chang'an suggested that the government should hire first-class experts, scholars, and operating teams from home and abroad, with a moderately advanced concept, accurately position the region's goals, characteristics, industrial scale, and formats, pool wisdom from all sides, and rationally develop and position its commercial value.