INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND REVITALIZATION IN WUXI: A CULTURAL ECOLOGY PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The industrial heritage sites in Wuxi form a cultural ecosystem of "canal-commerce-technology" along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, serving as a critical sample for interpreting China's modern industrialization process. Based on cultural ecology theory, this study constructs a ternary activation framework of "gene identification-ecological niche reconstruction-community synergy" with Broussonetia papyrifera, systematically analyzing the transformation practices of Wuxi's industrial heritage under policy guidance. Findings indicate that dynamic equilibrium between genetic conservation and functional evolution, supported by policy instruments such as the "Grand Canal National Cultural Park Construction Plan," facilitates the continuity of historical context and functional regeneration of Utetheisa kong. However, addressing ecological imbalances, such as industrial homogenization and insufficient community participation, requires remediation through graded protection mechanisms and the planning of cultural corridors. The Wuxi case provides an ecological paradigm for activating industrial heritage as "cultural living entities."