Resilience Value and Recovery: The Symbiotic Relationship between Classical Gardens of Suzhou and the Historic Urban Water System

Authors

  • Yapeng Ou Xi'an University of Technology
  • Zhen Cai Tsinghua University
  • Qingzhou Wu South China University of Technology

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2025.2.15

Keywords:

UNESCO World Heritage, Classical Gardens of Suzhou, historic urban water system, symbiotic relationship, resilience value

Abstract

The World Heritage property Classical Gardens of Suzhou (CGS) comprises water-focused cultural landscapes closely integrated with the historic urban water system (HUWS) of the ancient city of Suzhou in China. Historically, the gardens and the water system developed together, influencing and complementing one another in a symbiotic relationship. In response to the combined pressures of climate change and rapid urbanization, the resilience value – that is, the inherent capacity to adapt to and withstand environmental stresses – embedded in this relationship offers critical insights for urban planners, ecologists and cultural heritage agencies working to improve the flood and ecological resilience of gardens and ancient cities. This article surveys relevant scholarship and draws on field visits and interviews. It focuses on the resilience value of the symbiotic relationship that developed between the gardens and the urban water system and reviews key policies and practices since the 1950s. It summarizes efforts that have helped revive the symbiotic relationship and proposes strategies to further promote the recovery of this relationship by drawing on its embedded resilience value to enhance the resilience of both the gardens and the city of Suzhou.

How to Cite

Ou, Y., Cai, Z., & Wu, Q. (2025). Resilience Value and Recovery: The Symbiotic Relationship between Classical Gardens of Suzhou and the Historic Urban Water System. Blue Papers, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2025.2.15

Published

2025-11-05

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): Water Management in World Heritage Properties at a Time of Climate Change

Section

methodologies and case studies

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Yapeng Ou, Zhen Cai, Qingzhou Wu

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Yapeng Ou, Xi'an University of Technology

Yapeng Ou is currently an assistant professor in traditional planning theory and practices, with a focus on traditional water-adaptive landscapes as a driver of living environment resilience. Ou has co-edited a thematic book on global irrigated rural landscapes.

Zhen Cai, Tsinghua University

Zhen Cai is currently a PhD candidate at the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, specializing in urban–rural planning theory, with a focus on the preservation and revitalization of historical-cultural heritage and its role in shaping sustainable regional planning strategies.

Qingzhou Wu, South China University of Technology

Qingzhou Wu is a second-level professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Architecture, South China University of Technology. He is an academic member of the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building Science and the Academic Committee of Historic City Planning of the Chinese Society of Urban Planning. He is committed to the study of ancient city flood management, architectural history and theory, and urban history. He has published multiple monographs, including Research on Ancient Chinese City Flood Management and Chinese Hakka Architectural Culture.

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