"REDISCOVER YONGXIN"OLD CITY RENEWAL PLAN

As an old city with a history for thousands of years, Yongxin embodies its unique gene of “rich humanity, red history and beautiful ecology”. As the hometown of He Zizhen who was the wife of Chairman Mao, Mao once said that Yongxin should be vigorously developed. Yongxin has shown prosperity of human culture since ancient times, and now it becomes the hometown of Chinese folk calligraphy. Also it contains a profound red culture as the core of Hunan-Jiangxi Revolution, which has made outstanding contributions to the establishment of new China.

Yongxin County People’s Governmentand CBC (China Building Centre) jointly initiated “Rediscover Yongxin” Old City Renewal Plan. Taking the features and culture of Yongxin Old City as the carrier, guided by design, culture and art, Yongxin Old City has carried out practical operation to solve difficulties as well as future-oriented renovation and transformation through events, communities and industries.

As an important renewal zone in the “Rediscover Yongxin” Old City Renewal Plan, Yongxin Old City Wenxing Bridge International Design Competition focus on “Bridging”. The theme of competition is BRIDGE-COMPLEX. Careful consideration of the real site environment in Heshui River’s two sides is needed, as the main subject Wenxing Bridge will later work as a link, connects the key locations along the river like Linjiang Building and Hunan-Jiangxi Wharf and stitches the banks of Heshui River Blocks and landscape belts when it is implemented. The competition is aiming to collect designs globally under the schemes of “BRIDGE-COMPLEX” with merits like foresight, creativity and implementation.

As a critical link among Mountain, River and the City, Wenxing Bridge clearly showed its location importance as a pivotal spot to have all these views. In ancient times, there was a “Wenxing Floating Bridge” connecting the two sides of the north and the south at the competition site, which is for the convenience of the citizens. With time passing and changed circumstances, though the old bridge was removed, it still witnessed the historical context and group memory of Yongxin people living near the water. This competition is also a modern interpretation of the history of the Old City.

Therefore, the competition strives to create a new landscape, new landmark and new image of Yongxin Old City with novel forms and multiple functions through innovative designs, so as to provide new focus, new desire and new experience for residents and visitors of the old city. Meanwhile, the competition was taken as an opportunity to continue the context of the old city, foresee future constructions of the urban area, promotes further upgrading of the old city, creates a repair sample that integrates both banks and roots in the ground, as well as triggers the thinking and discussion of the contemporary concept of “bridge” and the urban renewal mode.