Spatial–temporal distribution characteristics of industrial heritage protection and the influencing factors in a Chinese city: a case study of the Tiexi old industrial district in Shenyang

In this article, the temporal and spatial distribution of industrial heritage protection was presented, using the Tiexi old industrial district of Shenyang as a typical case. An explanatory framework was constructed to explain the selected process of industrial heritage. The findings indicate that the highly selective process and the temporal spatial transformation of industrial heritage have been driven by economic, cultural and institutional factors. Tiexi old industrial district is not a single case, but reflects the history and general problems of conserving industrial heritage in China. The case of Tiexi contributes to understanding Chinese industrial heritage in three aspects. First, as to temporal character, there is an excessive concentration ignoring modern and contemporary industrial heritage. Second, from the perspective of space, the fragmented protection mode makes industrial heritage an ‘enclave’ like lonely islands, thus affecting the overall image of industrial culture. And third, as far as institutional factors are concerned, the government plays the leading role while the workers and other important stakeholders are missing.