ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book suggests that the pre-modern Chinese considered architecture as an artful representation of nature from some different aspects. It illustrates how the Song emperors regularly partook in processions to conduct ritual ceremonies in the royal ancestral temple and the altar of the earth. Modern construction methods, materials and fashion have largely resulted in the disappearance of the craftsmanship that was embodied in the traditional hand-made process of creating buildings. The formation of traditional streets was mainly driven by commercial development under the critical scrutiny of the authority. Authenticity in heritage-led urban regeneration seems to be a moral and social justification. It is also important to recognize that the guiding principles for the formation of China's historic urban districts were much simpler and yet powerful and transcendental during the imperial period.
