Objective  Scenic cognition and practice in China are of distinct uniqueness. In China, heritage with a long history and universal consensus, based on traditional ideas and practices such as “scenery view” and “scenery construction”, and guided by “scenery culture”, is a unique type of heritage — scenic heritage. Although there was no concept of heritage protection for “scenic heritage” in ancient China, the continuity and inheritance of scenic entities such as scenic spots, and historical sites all reflect the values of the ancients. Based on the principles of advocating ancient culture and literature, the ancients have carried out tangible maintenance and repair, as well as intangible written recording and cultural dissemination of related heritage. These scenic entities correspondingly exhibit basic characteristics of intergenerational and representative nature. However, in the current heritage protection system, a comprehensive theoretical system and corresponding heritage protection norms and measures have not yet been established for the protection of scenic heritage. As an academic concept, “scenic heritage” has not yet risen to a legal practice concept, and due to the differences in the background and the semantic meaning of “scenery” between China and foreign countries, and between ancient and modern times, the concept of scenic heritage has become more generalized, while the protection objects and scope of scenic heritage have become increasingly blurred, thus affecting the innovation of corresponding protection practice. Therefore, clarifying the concepts and connotations of “scenery” and “scenic heritage”, the protection objects of scenic heritage, and the methods and approaches for intergenerational inheritance of scenic heritage, can provide theoretical support for the practice of scenic heritage in China and contribute Chinese wisdom to the transformation of world heritage sites.

Methods/process  In ancient times, Shaoxing was a secluded literary paradise with numerous celebrities and beautiful mountains and waters. The scenery and poetry elucidated from Kuaiji Prefecture became the origin of Chinese scenery construction and landscape poetry. In later generations, Shaoxing still boasts outstanding talents and a rich collection of cultural relics. It is a scenic spot with numerous historical landmarks and detailed local chronicles. Taking the ancient city of Shaoxing as an example and using local chronicles as basic research materials, this research traces ancient local chronicles following the above standards. Based on text analysis, word frequency analysis, case statistics, and historical geographical spatial annotation methods, this research traces ancient landscape practice and conducts in-depth textual and spatial descriptions to organize a list of ancient local scenic heritage, thus further exploring the characteristics of scenic heritage.

Results/conclusion  By analyzing the concepts of scenery and scenic heritage, the research clarifies the positioning of the world heritage protection system for scenic heritage, and believes that scenic heritage should be a unique and interrelated cultural landscape in China. In the interrelated cultural landscape in western countries, most of the natural values are only related to religion or primitive natural worship, while relevant experiences and phenomena in China can greatly deepen and broaden the understanding of nature and humanity. Landscape heritage can break through the belief barriers of Western “religious and natural holy sites” in terms of associated images and ways, and condense multiple connotations such as philosophical ideas, literature and art, ethical aesthetics, and historical memory. Landscape heritage is featured by speculative thinking into nature, humanistic initiative, cultural profundity, aesthetic height, and extensive influence. Based on scenery’s basic connotation characteristics of natural and cultural correlation and morphological representation characteristics, this research establishes a scenic heritage identification method that integrates the intergenerational and representative characteristics of scenic heritage, in order to clarify the protection objects and scope of scenic heritage. Based on the case analysis of ancient Shaoxing, this research has local scenery divided into landscape scenery and artificial scenery, proposes the different formation characteristics and cognitive perspectives of scenic and physical heritage, and summarizes the dual core values of human and earth spirit in scenic heritage. In inheritance, guided by Confucian values, scenic heritage is closely related to famous sages, and has functions such as visiting scenic spots, offering great sacrifices to mountains and rivers, and public sightseeing. The construction, repair, and protection of scenic heritage are all led by local officials. In terms of dissemination, through case studies of scenic and scenic heritage sites in the form of Wolong Mountain and Orchid Pavilion in Shaoxing, this research summarizes the cultural interpretation of scenery construction in ancient scenic heritage protection, breaking through the pursuit of material authenticity in Western heritage protection, emphasizing spiritual resonance rather than material expression, and strengthening the intergenerational inheritance of natural and artificial material elements, and immaterial spirits through the way of scenic life. To better protect scenic heritage, a unique type of heritage in China, we should improve its protection standards, values, and connotations, and actively absorb historical experience.