Comparative Study of the Conservation Policies, Standards and Practices of Built Heritages in Traditional Villages Between China and Italy

This study selects Hongcun in China and Cinque Terre in Italy as typical cases and employs a mixed-methods approach that combines semistructured interviews, field observations, and systematic document analysis. Guided by the three-dimensional theoretical framework of policy, standards, and practice, this study systematically compares the conservation of built heritage in traditional villages between China and Italy. Through multilevel comparative analysis, the study reveals differences from policy formulation to standard development and then to practical implementation, and further highlights that the problems in Hongcun’s conservation practices need to be understood within the historical context of China’s vernacular heritage conservation, and while Cinque Terre’s experiences offer valuable references, their transplantation must be transformed in light of local institutional and cultural contexts. On this basis, this study proposes optimization pathways, including the construction of a three-dimensional theoretical framework, the development of multi-level conservation policy, the elaboration of component-based conservation standards, and the optimization of whole-process conservation practice control, providing cross-cultural references and practical insights for the sustainable conservation of built heritage in China’s traditional villages.