Regulations of Suzhou Municipality on the Protection of Ancient City Walls

Article 1 In order to strengthen the protection of ancient city walls and maintain the historical features of the city, these Regulations are formulated in accordance with the Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) on the Protection of Cultural Relics, the Regulations of the State Council on the Protection of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities, Towns and Villages, and the actual situation of this Municipality. Article 2 These Regulations shall apply to the protection, utilization and management of the ancient city walls of Suzhou ancient city.

The term "ancient city walls" as mentioned in these Regulations refers to the existing masonry city walls (including city gates), earth city walls and their sites and relics built before 1949.

The ancient city wall has been announced as a cultural relic protection unit and a controlled and protected building. Where laws and regulations provide otherwise, such provisions shall prevail. Article 3 The protection of ancient city walls shall follow the principles of overall planning, strict protection, rational utilization and scientific management. Article 4 The Municipal People's Government shall strengthen the leadership and overall coordination on the protection of ancient city walls, and incorporate the protection of ancient city walls into the national economic and social development plan. Fifth municipal cultural (cultural relics) department is responsible for the following work:

(a) to guide the investigation of ancient city wall resources, formulate classified protection levels, recommend and publish cultural relics protection units, and control and protect buildings;

(two) to organize the delineation of the protection scope and construction control zone of the ancient city wall;

(3) Organizing archaeological investigation, exploration, excavation and research of the ancient city wall;

(four) to audit and manage the ancient city wall protection projects belonging to cultural relics protection units and controlled and protected buildings according to law;

(five) to supervise and guide the protection and utilization of the ancient city walls;

(six) to investigate and deal with illegal acts of destroying the ancient city wall.

The municipal competent department of urban and rural planning is responsible for organizing the preparation of the protection plan for the ancient city wall, bringing it into the protection plan for Suzhou's famous historical and cultural city, and supervising and inspecting the implementation of the plan.

Land and resources, landscaping, public security, housing and urban and rural construction, city appearance and municipal administration (urban management), tourism, environmental protection, water conservancy (water affairs) and other departments shall, according to their respective responsibilities, do a good job in the protection of the ancient city wall. Article 6 The gusu district Municipal People's Government shall be specifically responsible for the protection and management of the ancient city walls of Suzhou Ancient City. Seventh the use and management unit of the ancient city wall is the person responsible for the protection and management of the ancient city wall; The gusu district Municipal People's Government shall determine the management unit for the unused and managed ancient city walls, and the management unit shall be the person responsible for protection and management.

The person responsible for protection and management shall perform the following duties:

(a) responsible for the inspection and cleaning of the ancient city wall and other daily work;

(two) responsible for the maintenance and repair of the ancient city wall;

(three) responsible for the collection and uploading of monitoring data of the ancient city wall, and formulate emergency plans;

(four) responsible for greening management and maintenance;

(five) other daily work of ancient city wall protection.

Gusu district Municipal People's Government shall sign a protection agreement with the person responsible for protection and management, and clarify the contents and responsibilities of protection and management. Eighth ancient city wall protection funds raised through the following channels:

(a) national, provincial and municipal special subsidies;

(two) special funds for the protection of Suzhou national historical and cultural city;

(3) Income from the protection and utilization of ancient city walls;

(4) social donations;

(5) Other legal sources. Ninth units and individuals are encouraged to participate in the protection of ancient city walls. Any unit or individual has the right to discourage and report the destruction of ancient city walls or other acts in violation of the provisions of these regulations.

Units and individuals that have committed one of the following acts and made outstanding contributions shall be commended and rewarded by the municipal and gusu district Municipal People's governments:

(1) Donate money and materials;

(2) Collecting, handing in and donating the wall bricks, inscriptions and other cultural relics of the ancient city wall;

(three) to carry out scientific and technological research on the protection of ancient city walls;

(four) effectively stop the illegal acts of destroying the ancient city wall;

(five) other acts to protect the ancient city wall. Article 10 The protection scope and construction control zone of the ancient city wall that is not listed as a cultural relics protection unit shall be reasonably delineated by the municipal cultural (cultural relics) department in conjunction with the municipal urban and rural planning department and the gusu district Municipal People's Government within one year from the date of implementation of these Regulations, and announced to the public after being reported to the municipal government for approval. Eleventh gusu district Municipal People's Government shall set up ancient city wall protection signs in a prominent position in the scope of protection and other areas that need to be reminded to the public.

The protection sign shall specify the name, category, construction year, protection level, protection scope, construction control zone and the person responsible for protection and management of the ancient city wall. Twelfth the following acts are prohibited within the scope of protection of the ancient city wall:

(a) the construction of buildings (structures) unrelated to the protection of ancient city walls;

(two) engaged in construction, blasting, drilling, excavation and stacking operations that may affect the safety of the ancient city wall;

(3) Carving, smearing and posting on the ancient city walls and protection signs;

(4) Dumping garbage and sewage;

(five) piling, hanging lines and making holes in the ancient city wall without authorization;

(six) take brick (stone) soil from the ancient city wall;

(seven) storage and use of flammable and explosive materials;

(eight) other acts that endanger the safety, style and environment of the ancient city wall. Thirteenth new construction, renovation and expansion of buildings (structures) in the construction control zone of the ancient city wall shall conform to the relevant planning of the protection of the ancient city wall, and its height, form, volume and color shall be coordinated with the environmental features of the ancient city wall. The competent department of urban and rural planning of the city shall, before going through the relevant examination and approval procedures, organize the demonstration jointly with the competent department of municipal culture (cultural relics) and the gusu district Municipal People's Government.

Legal buildings (structures) within the protection scope and construction control zone of the ancient city wall, which endanger the safety of the ancient city wall and destroy the historical features, shall be rebuilt and demolished, and shall be compensated according to law; Existing illegal buildings (structures) should be removed according to law.