Cultural Heritage Conservation
The Tangkou Community Project aims to maintain and improve cultural heritage conservation, focusing on protection and care of local and regional tangible cultural heritage, including artworks, architecture, archaeology, and museum collections. We employ local craftsmen as required to maintain local skills and provide learning opportunities.
TK-SPACE provides a platform for visitors to explore and discover aspects of the extraordinary regional history, the unique architecture, the vibrant community and the ways of life of typical rural life in southern China. It plays an important role with projects and collaborations that benefit this local, rural community and cultural heritage conservation. We are located next door to a “diaolou”, (fortress watchtower) and there are over 500 in the Tangkou region including two more in Tangkou village.
Cangdong Conservation Project
Before moving on to the Tangkou Community Project some of our team members were involved in the design, creation and implementation of the Cangdong Conservation Project. This is located at the nearby village of Cangdong, a short cycle ride from TK-Space. With involvement of the local community, two ancestral halls were restored, a diaolou repaired and made accessible, a temple rebuilt, four village houses and the rice drying yard revitalised, all in a way that was sensitive to the surroundings.
The project was granted an Award of Merit at the 2015 Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Social Benefits
The Tangkou Community Project recognises the importance of cultural heritage conservation and aims to instil heritage and cultural interest both in younger generations and more widely.
Most importantly, the project is an example of successful cooperation in the field of revitalisation and cultural heritage conservation that has empowered and enabled local villagers to build a healthier and more prosperous community.
Key points in the working philosophy and the current and future working practices of the Tangkou Community Project and TK-SPACE include:
- Watch, learn, record and share
- Preserve and revitalize local traditional cultures
- Enable the re-use of historical buildings
- Achieve the continuity of local culture through visitor participation and experience
- Engender a sense of pride, understanding and belonging
- Attract overseas Chinese and visitors from around the world
- Provide a bridge and communications between neighbouring villages and Overseas Chinese
- Build links between China and overseas-born Chinese