The Qingdao Exchange Building, built in the 1920s, is the largest products and stock exchange building in modern Shandong. In addition to being a historical witness to the economic development of Qingdao over the last 100 years, it has also been a historical scene of cultural exchanges between China and the West after the opening up of China in the early 20th century. After several changes in the building’s property rights, the building was out of use for a long period of time, with a large number of materials and structures being damaged. The present authors participated in a feasibility study project on the conservation and restoration of the Qingdao Exchange Building. The objective of the present study was achieved through several qualitative methods, including the collection and analysis of historical files, analysis of historical maps and photos, investigation and research of historical information, comparative analysis, and others. Through the value research and technical analysis of the Qingdao Exchange Building, the historical, artistic, and scientific values of architectural heritage were investigated in the present study, and rehabilitation strategies and methods were explored. Additionally, the spread of certain characteristics of Western architectural culture in China in the early modern times was investigated based on the present case.

The fundamental disputes in urban heritage regeneration stem from variations in power dynamics and inherent value systems among stakeholders. Addressing conflicts and power differentials involving governmental bodies, market forces, community residents, experts, and scholars is crucial for fostering sustainable urban heritage development. Recently, these contradictions have grown more pronounced as China’s urbanization has transitioned from rapid expansion to a phase focused on existing urban assets. In the present research, the typical traditional courtyard-style residential buildings in Jinan, a historic city in northern China, were selected as the object of study. These houses often suffer from problems such as outdated infrastructure and low living conditions and have become difficult to adapt to contemporary urban life. A case study approach was employed focusing on a representative courtyard house to develop models for renewing and regenerating urban heritage, specifically tailored to traditional courtyard houses. The aim was to address conflicts and power disparities among urban heritage stakeholders through diverse mechanisms. Methodologically, the research integrates historical study and field investigation, participatory analysis, and policy analysis. Primary data sources include field surveys, historical research, oral interviews, and drone aerial photography. Models were constructed in the present study—namely, the heritage self-renewal, heritage revitalization, and heritage transformation models—for traditional courtyard houses. These models were designed to foster sustainable urban heritage development through collaborative efforts across various stakeholders and administrative levels. They will optimize the renewal mechanism of urban heritage, thus providing diversity and multiple possibilities for the preservation and reuse of architectural heritage in China. They aim to realize comprehensive urban heritage values, including vitality, health, efficiency, and equity, while accommodating the interests of diverse stakeholders.

The bell tower of Nanking University, built in 1888, is a milestone of modern educational architecture in Nanjing. It fully introduced Western architectural concepts and is an important historical witness to the cultural exchange between China and the West. At present, there are few studies on the conservation and reuse of the building, so the authors conducted the project. In this paper, we conducted research by combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative analysis includes analyses of historical maps, photos, text, surveys, mapping of buildings, and a comparative analysis. The quantitative analysis includes statistics on the distribution of the urban school architectural heritage, the number of buildings at Nanking University, and China’s school building design standards. Through the historical research and value analysis of the building, we explore its real information from the aspects of architectural style, space, structure, material, and construction technology, and propose a reasonable conservation method. According to the current urban planning policy and architectural heritage data, the functional upgrading and renovation of the building will be carried out. This paper explores authenticity and integrity-based restoration methods, as well as the adaptive-reuse strategy for China’s architectural heritage, which can provide a paradigm for regional development and historic campus renewal.

Rural revolutionary heritage in China represents a distinctive form of vernacular heritage. It holds significance not only for its connection to historical events and prominent figures, but also encapsulates the distinctive features of vernacular architecture. Since 2020, the present authors have conducted a survey of the rural revolutionary heritage in Jinan. The findings indicate that common challenges in this context are the issues of overprotection and low utilization efficiency. The two former command posts of the Jinan Campaign are representative of rural revolutionary heritage. The Yinjiadian command post building received the designation of revolutionary heritage earlier than the one located in Tangjiagou Village. However, it has undergone inappropriate repairs and alterations over time, which have compromised its original integrity. The Tangjiagou command post was granted heritage status towards the end of 2020, but despite retaining its vernacular architectural structure, material, and form, it has not been effectively conserved and utilized. In the present study, the history, characteristics, and current situation of the two command posts of the Jinan Campaign were explored using various methods such as historical data collection and analysis, field investigations, oral interviews, GIS analysis, and comparative research. The aim of the study was to determine regeneration strategies for the two command posts of the Jinan Campaign by identifying and comparing their character-defining elements. A comparative investigation of the two command posts in the Jinan Campaign was conducted and based on their different heritage characteristics and preservation status, regeneration strategies were proposed. Additionally, a systematic regeneration strategy for rural revolutionary heritage was explored, considering the unique challenges and opportunities associated with preserving and revitalizing these historic sites. Such measures promote the activation and survival of China’s rural revolutionary heritage while providing valuable reference for its protection and research.

At the turn of the 20th century, Christian and Catholic churches in Western nations established numerous mission hospitals in non-European regions. In China, mission hospitals represent a significant category of modern architectural heritage, symbolising advancements in healthcare and medical education while also serving as historical artifacts of early cultural interactions between China and the West. With ongoing developments in medical technology, these mission hospital structures no longer meet contemporary healthcare demands; many have been repurposed or temporarily abandoned. Preserving and effectively repurposing mission hospital heritage has thus emerged as a critical issue. In the present study, the Shantung Christian University Union Medical College was examined as a case study in addressing this challenge. The site retains the original Outpatient Building, Inpatient Building, Medical Teaching Building, and other architectural heritage and has preserved the original mixed Chinese and Western architectural styles. A combination of historical research, field investigation, and historic layering was adopted in the present study, drawing primarily on data from historical maps, satellite images from different periods, aerial photography from drones, architectural drawings, and other relevant historical data. Through case studies, methods for characterising and identifying the landscape and architectural heritage of mission hospitals were explored. Principles for the preservation and regeneration of the heritage of church hospitals were also proposed, with a view to providing a reference for the study and preservation of this type of heritage.

Along with the development of the field of digital culture, the preservation and presentation of cultural heritage has begun to transform into a digital paradigm. How to integrate digital cultural heritage with the education of different groups is an important topic. This paper explores the path of digital preservation, utilization and interpretation of cultural heritage, including information acquisition and processing, information storage and management, spatial simulation and analysis, and heritage interpretation and dissemination. Following that, it explores the paths and methods of integrating cultural heritage into sustainable education, taking into account the basic demands of social practice education, general education, professional education and public education. This paper argues that the integration of digital cultural heritage into sustainable education can not only popularize the knowledge related to cultural heritage and enhance the public's digital literacy, but also further improve the level of protection and utilization of cultural heritage. Through the integration of digital cultural heritage and education, the awareness of cultural heritage protection can be raised so that people can jointly guard the cultural treasures of all mankind.