A Conceptual History of Architectural Heritage Terminology in Modern and Contemporary China

This paper focuses on core terms used in the practice of architectural heritage conservation in China—such as “baocun”, “baohu”, “weixiu”, and “xiushan”—to explore their historical development and semantic shifts since modern times. By examining legal regulations, technical literature, and corpus data, the study reveals how changes in terminology reflect broader transformations in historical context and professional discourse. By clarifying the differing scopes of these terms, this paper reveals the conservation philosophies reflected in terms, offering insights into the cultural and conceptual nuances shaping heritage practices.