Some students discovered that their own family elders had participated in construction of the ancient buildings. In contrast, others became fascinated by UNESCO World Heritage sites introduced in class.
Some family memories find unexpected ways to live on through the classroom. Zhou Yuanhang, now a junior high student studying outside the village, learned in a heritage class that his ancestors helped renovate the village's theatrical stage.
When he returned home and asked relatives, he discovered that his family was a well-known carpentry clan in the village. As a descendant of that clan, he expressed a fascination with architectural model-making.
Liu Shaoyuan, a researcher from Fudan, says the work highlighted a key insight: villagers are both the creators and the empathetic interpreters of heritage.
"Heritage protection must be embedded in cultural traditions and memories, and must evolve into modern life to meet people's cultural and spiritual needs," Liu says.
In 2023, a UNESCO Chair on Living Heritage and Community Development established a base in Loushang. Hosted by Fudan University, it has since launched village workshops, set up the Loushang heritage classroom, and built systems for collecting oral histories, training in heritage protection, and youth education.
