Industrial heritage regeneration in Beijing: a sustainable case study

In China, two categories of industrial heritage regeneration can be identified. The first concerns the districts which are created by renovation of old buildings and factories which are frequently found in major cities such as Beijing. These factories, and streets and houses in the surrounding area, were in many cases transformed into art or cultural districts including facilities for tourists and visitors. The second category is focused on entertainment areas connected to cultural activities as well, which include theme parks and performing arts areas. The 798 Art Zone in Beijing’s Dashanzi Art District is included in the first category and support the mobilization and engagement of the government with the recovering warehouses and old factories. In the last years, the Chinese government has invested many financial resources in order to support and incentivize these kinds of districts, even though these operations have not been successful in all cases. Starting from these premises, the paper – carried out in the framework of FP7-PEOPLE-2011 IRSES “Planning, Urban Management and Heritage” and the Italia-China Bilateral Cach Programme “Cultural routes: valorization and management of big historical sites” - is aimed at showing the role of artists in creative regeneration and the emblematic case of the 798 Art Zone in Beijing. The development of this area from its beginning until the current state completes the paper.