Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellow
Yimei Zhang, Master of City Planning and Master of Science in Historic Preservation, University of Pennsylvania

 

Yimei Zhang holds a Bachelor of Economics from Beijing Foreign Studies University, and dual Masters’ degrees in City Planning and Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the recipient of the 2022-2023 German Chancellor Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and will spend her fellowship year researching the conservation of post-war large-scale housing complexes in Germany at TUM.

Before joining TUM, she worked as a heritage conservation planner in China for 6 years. Her projects focus on World Heritage nomination, management of rural settlements, and the conservation of modern heritage. Jingmai Tea Forests, the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, Kulangsu International Settlement, Yongtai Fortified Manors, and Mawei Arsenal are among some of her major projects. She believes that heritage can be a powerful tool to regenerate urban neighborhoods, empower local communities, and make better, livable places. She hopes that her research at TUM would contribute to the conservation of the built environment of our recent past, and promote heritage conversation between China and Germany.

Ongoing research: Conserving Post-war Large-scale Housing Estates: A Comparative Analysis between Germany and China

 

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-reviewed Articles (in Chinese)

Yimei Zhang, Yiqing Zou, Xiaorui Liu, “Management Practices in Jingmai Moutain”, Study on Natural and Cultural Heritage, 2020/5.

Yiqing Zou, Yimei Zhang, “Understanding the ‘Ancient Tea-Horse Road’ as a Cultural Route”, Beijing Planning Review, 2018/4.

Fanding Du, Ge Yang, Yimei Zhang, “Conservation Strategy of the ‘Long March’ Heritage Sites”, Beijing Planning Review, 2018/5.

Conference Presentations

2022 Annual Conference of The Architectural Society of China, Xiamen, Fujian, China, “Survival Strategy of Families in Mountains: Understanding the Values of Yongtai Fortified Manors from a Comparative Perspective”.

2019 Sino-European Forum on Vernacular Heritage, Jinan, Shandong, China, “Managing Change of Living Heritage: Case Study of Jingmai Village Plan”.

2020 ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Cultural Routes (CIIC), Chihuahua, Mexico, “Tea-Horse Road as a Cultural Route – tracing political, economic and cultural exchange in southwest China and beyond”.

CONSERVATION PROJECTS

Conservation Projects

Nomination and Management of World Heritage Sites

2021, World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum. Fuzhou, Fujian

2021, World Heritage Nomination Dossier for Mawei Arsenal. Fuzhou, Fujian.

2020, Consultation to Kulangsu World Heritage Site. Xiamen, Fujian.

2020, Consultation to Lushan Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site. Jiujiang, Jiangxi.

2020, Treatment Plan of Historic Environment in Jingmai Villages. Pu’er, Yunnan.

2020, Conservation Plan and World Heritage Nomination Dossier for Zhuangzhai (fortified manors) in Yongtai County. Fuzhou, Fujian.

2020, World Heritage Management Plan of Jingmai Tea Forests.Pu’er, Yunnan.

2020, Design Guidelines for Villages in Jingmai Tea Forests.Pu’er, Yunnan.

2019, Rural Development Plan for Mangjing and Manghong Village in Jingmai Tea Forests.

2019, Feasibility Study of World Heritage Nomination for Menghai Tea Forests. Xishuangbanna, Yunnan.

Research Projects Commissioned by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage

2020, Wooden Architecture Conservation Strategy for the 14th National Five-Year Plan.

2019, Conservation Strategy of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces.

2019, Tea Cultural Landscapes of China.

2018, Conservation Assessment of Fifty-one Listed Historic Villages.

2018, Master Plan of the Long March Cultural Route Heritage Sites. Key contributor

2013, Conservation Strategy of Modern Heritage for the 13th National Five-Year Plan.

Conservation Plans for Listed Heritage Sites

2021, Conservation Plan of Early Buildings of Tsinghua University. Beijing.

2019, Comprehensive Conservation Plan of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road in Yunnan Province.

2018, Conservation Plan of Wenshengjie Village. Dali, Yunnan.

2016, Conservation Plan of the Leizu Temple. Leizhou, Guangdong.

2016, Conservation Plan of Jingmai Tea Forests in Lancang. Pu’er Yunnan.

Urban Redevelopment Strategy

2021, Redevelopment Strategy of Gongmingxu. Guangdong, Guangzhou.

2021, Redevelopment Strategy of Workers’ Residential Compounds in Luoyang, Henan.