Before starting my PhD journey, I spent three years as a museum curator and exhibition designer in China. The Port-opening Museum of Modern History in Wen-Chow is one of the most important projects that I have done during that time. The interesting thing is that, as this museum was a renovation project from the former site of British Consulate in Wen-Chow, the manager believed I was the right person for this project because I was graduated from University of the Arts, London.

This museum project was spearheaded by the Wen-Chow Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism and opened to the public as part of the Jiangxin Island Scenic Area in 2019. This is a common management model for museums in China: the local government sets the thematic direction, and design companies are subsequently engaged for in-depth curation and exhibition design.

As the executive curator, I spent three months on-site in Wen-Chow, witnessing the gradual transformation of these three Western-style buildings into exhibition halls. Due to cultural heritage preservation regulations, we were required to preserve the original interior walls and floor; consequently, the exhibition spaces retained the layout of the original rooms. The three buildings were dedicated to showcasing the modern history of Wen-Chow Port, the city’s atmosphere during the Republic of China era, and the poetic culture associated with Jiangxin Island.

To enhance the visitor experience and attract a wider audience, we employed a variety of display techniques, including AR models, projections, scene restorations, and art installations. However, I felt a sense of regret; due to spatial and temporal limits, there were many aspects of the consulate building that remained unexplored. This realisation became the catalyst for my doctoral studies: I discovered a deep fascination with architectural history, particularly with this kind of dissonant built heritage that embodies a multi-layered identity.

Thus, my connection to this building began after I returned from studying in the UK, yet the building itself prompted me to return to the UK for further research. I do not know where this journey will lead next, but I believe it will extend far beyond this PhD program, this conference, or this article.

Use of dissonant built heritage: the case of the former site of the British consulate in Wen-Chow by Xinbei Wang (University of Birmingham) is published in Architecture_MPS, volume 34.

Xinbei Wang is a PhD researcher at the University of Birmingham. Her research interests include architectural history, 19th century history in treaty-port China, colonial urbanism, and the heritage reinterpretation of built environments in East Asia. She is the regional ambassador for Midlands in History Lab +, Institute of Historical Researcher in London, and also works as a teaching assistant at Academic Writing Advisory Service in the University of Birmingham. Graduated from Interior and Spatial Design from the University of the Arts, London, she worked as an exhibition designer and museum curator for three years before pursuing her PhD. This professional experience sparked her interest in exploring the relationship between architectural space, politics, and culture, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries.

built heritage colonial architecture informal imperialism Treaty Port British consulate