La Chine traditionnelle était une société fortement agricole dans laquelle la plupart du peuple habitait les villages. Ceux-ci, constituant chacun un monde en soi, montraient une grande diversité sous différents aspects. Les caractéristiques de la Chine rurale résident surtout dans les vieux villages. Et la répartition des agglomérations en Chine que l'on voit aujourd'hui résulte d'une évolution trimillénaire. Si la notion de patrimoine est très ancienne en Chine, celle de sauvegarde de patrimoine, patrimoine bâti en particulier, est beaucoup plus récente. Concernant la protection des agglomérations, les actions d'Etat ne sont qu'une réalité de trois décennies, visant d'abord les "Villes célèbres" (1982), ensuite les "Quartiers historiques" (1986), et enfin les "Bourgs et Villages célèbres" (2002). Accentuée par les multiples classements aux différents échelons administratifs, la protection des vieux villages en Chine connaît une série de paradoxes et reste une mission lourde et longue. Malgré les reproches entendus, la mise en tourisme peut être un choix et assurer les moyens de la protection des vieux villages. Le cas de Xidi montre un double processus de patrimonialisation et de mise en tourisme débutant au milieu des années 1980. Marquée par la gestion d'une entreprise de propriété collective, à l'initiative des élites du village et sous le pilotage de ceux-ci, la mise en tourisme de Xidi change profondément le village. Elle témoigne du développement d'une diversité de conflits entre les différents acteurs sur place. Ceux-ci, ajoutés à d'autres crises, mène le modèle de Xidi à sa fin au bout de 27 ans de pratique. Cependant, la "réforme" imposée par les gouvernements locaux n'arrive pas à calmer le village et les controverses autour de la protection et la mise en tourisme de Xidi comme de beaucoup d'autres vieux villages chinois restent vives et nombreuses. / Traditional China was a highly agricultural society where the majority of people lived in villages. Each village constituted a miniature world, which showed great diversity at all levels. All the characteristics of rural China mainly remained in ancient villages. The settlement distribution structure, as we see today, is the product of continuous evolution in three thousands years. The concept of heritage appeared in China in early times. But heritage protection, in particular, the concept of architectural heritage protection in China was more closed to now. As for settlement protection, history of action from government could be merely traced back to three decades. These actions first of all came out for " Famous Cities" (1982), and then for "Historical Blocks" (1986) and finally for "Famous Town and Village" (2002). The protection of ancient villages in China focused on the lists published with different names and levels, facing a series of paradoxes and with long way to go. Despite enormous criticism, tourism utilization is still one of the alternatives in the protection of ancient villages. The case of Xidi showed the double process of heritage and tourism development, which started in the Mid-1980s. Under the advocation and leadership of local village elites, Xidi tourism development implemented the management of collective ownership enterprise. The entire development witnessed the profound changes in the village and various conflicts among different actors. All sorts of conflicts and crisis accompanying eventually lead to the end of Xidi mode after 27 years practice. Xidi, however, has not been in peace due to the reform imposed by the local government, there still has been intense and widespread controversy surrounding Xidi as well as many other Chinese ancient villages

The purpose of this research was to investigate place development and the role of heritage in Västra Götaland, partially through the case of the destination island of Åstol. An overarching area of interest was how regional development and heritage may intertwine. First, the region’s development strategy was analyzed in relation to a regional developer’s understanding of heritage as synonymous with the sustainable reuse of buildings and places. The second analytical chapter dealt with the region’s place development method. Place development is about cross-sectororal collaboration, where heritage is one of many resources that are to be reused innovatively. The last analytical chapter highlighted Åstol. Heritage is an ongoing development goal in Åstol’s strategy plan. Nature has shaped the island’s heritage, the locals and its identity of today. Branding as a calm, historical fishing community is useful for Åstol, as it gives the place both unique and universal characteristics in a Bohuslän west coast environment.