Guangzhou University, September 12, 2012:Mr. Tang Guohua, the professor of College of Architecture and Urban Planning of Guangzhou University, is awarded a Chevalier Order of the Order of Arts and Letters (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in French) by the Government of France for his great contribution in preserving the old French architectures in China. On the afternoon of September 11, Mr. Bruno Bisson the French Consulate General in Guangzhou, holded an honor-awarding ceremony in the name of Ministry of Culture and Communication of France ( Ministère dela Cultureet dela Communicationin French) to award Professor Tang Guohua the order and the certificate of honour.
Set up in 1957 by Ministry of Culture and Communication of France (Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication in French), the Order of Arts and Letters (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in French) is an honorary order among the four ministerial level orders. It is awarded to the French or the foreigners, who are famed in the field of atrs or letters, as well as those who have made great contributions in promoting the French culture and the world culture.
Mr Bruno Bisson, consul general for the France at Guangzhou, awarded the Certificate of Honor to Professor Tang Guohua
Earch Institute of Guangzhou University, and he sits in the panel of the committee of Guangdong Provincial Heritage Conservation．In the past 30 years, he published a series of famous works related to architecture．He has also devoted himself to the protection of historical cultural relics for he believes that all of them are common treasuries of human beings which should be well preserved.
Professor Tang was in charge of the maintenance of Guangzhou Sacred Heart Cathedral, a church designed by a French engineer and built by Guangdong craftsmen from 1863 to 1889. The architectural techniques and arts of this national cultural relic fully reflect the intelligence and wisdom of Chinese and French. Professor Tang spent fourteen years of efforts to maintain it from the mapping in 1993 to the end of the project in 2007. Professor Tang was also responsible of the maintenance of classical architectures of French cultural in Guangzhou, including Shamian Red Mansion, Church of Our Lady of Lourdes and houses in No.43 inBeijie, which were highly praised by the Cultural Relics Department. During the preparation of 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, the restoration projects in Shamian that were conducted by him and his students were great a success. The restored constructions include former Consulate General of France in Guangzhou, former French Post Office, former site of Banque Indosuez, former site of Banque Industrielle de China and many other old buildings in the former French Concession. “These classical architectures of French style reflect the Chinese and French people’s architectural techniques and arts, which should be studied and inherited by teachers and students in School of Architecture.”
“I don’t have weekends or vacations because teaching and research are as much important as protection of cultural relics.” Professor Tang said in the interview that as a teacher, “my greatest hope is that my students will be able to carry on the research of Lingnan architecture.” many of his undergraduate and graduate students assisted him in his efforts in the research of physical environment and construction technology of Lingnan traditional architectures as well as mapping, restoration design and engineering. He has successfully finished a number of projects to protect cultural relics within Guangzhou and even Guangdong Province, including Town God's Temple in Guangzhou and The Shrine of Confucius in Luoding.
Professor Tang Guohua in the interview
Ms. Su Guifen, Deputy Director-General of Department of Culture of Guangdong Province and Director of Administration of Cultural Heritage of Guangdong Province, Ms. Chen Shuang, Vice President of GU, Mr. Ming Jiquan, Executive Secretary and Mr. Wu Zhihe, Associate Curator of Antiquities and Monuments Office of Hong Kong’s Government, Mr. Chen Zhiliang, President of Macao Institute of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Relics, Mr. Deng Qisheng, professor of SCUT, Mr. Wu Minggao, Representative of Yuexiu District People's Congress and Mr. Shen Yue, Director of Institute of Architecture and Design of Guangzhou University attended the ceremony. Mr Bruno Bisson spoke highly of the outstanding contribution of Professor Tang Guohua in the protection of cultural relics. Professor Tang said, “I am pleasantly surprised to receive the award of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.” He expressed his thanks to the French Government as well as GU, the faculty, his family and the team, saying that “I will cherish this honor in the rest of my life and do my part in strengthening the friendship and cultural communication between China and France!”
Written by: Ouyang Youmei, Liu Hongdi
Edited by: Zuo Jiaxin
Source: GU News (Chinese)
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