Mayors see a shared future harnessing technology to preserve heritage sites

The cities of Huangshan and Stralsund differ in size, geography and architectural style. Yet both face the same challenge: how to balance preservation and development as World Heritage Site cities.

At the 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue in Huangshan in May, the mayors of the two cities found common ground: technology can empower culture and urban development, bridging tradition and the future.

Their vision extended from nature and culture to daily life and urban governance.

Alexander Badrow, mayor of Stralsund, outlined three priorities: protecting the environment, safeguarding world heritage and diverse urban cultures, and integrating innovative technologies into urban construction to improve livelihoods.

"If we achieve these three goals," he said, "our cities will embrace sustainable and sound development."

During the visit, Badrow climbed Huangshan Mountain equipped with an exoskeleton. After fastening it to his legs, he stood up and took several steps, joking: "Now, I'm Iron Man."

For Badrow, the exoskeleton embodies a key idea: technology should help people interact better with nature. It allows climbing without creating more work — technology enabling, rather than disrupting.

He Yi, mayor of Huangshan, extended this thinking from nature to culture.

He said technology has the potential to preserve culture while revitalizing livelihoods.

"Culture is a slow variable that accumulates over time, while technology is a fast variable that drives rapid change. We have witnessed countless cases where technology activates, catalyzes and reinvents traditional culture, thereby promoting urban progress and social development."

He highlighted that frames for traditional fish lanterns are 3D-printed but continue to be painted and decorated by hand — preserving authenticity while enabling mass production.

Technology like this has boosted rural incomes. Since last November, villagers had gained an average of 5,000 yuan ($740) in just four months. With annual per capita income of about 25,000 yuan, this points to a potential 10,000 yuan yearly increase — a significant leap.

Badrow sees parallels. The old town of Stralsund, which dates back to the 13th century, is strained by the influx of visitors. He believes technology offers a way forward.

"We receive millions of tourists every year, and the surge of vehicles brings huge pressure on urban parking resources. We believe autonomous driving will be an effective solution to this dilemma in the future.

"We have experienced self-driving vehicles in trial operation for two days here in Huangshan. This innovative technology will completely reshape urban traffic patterns and solve the long-standing parking and travel problems in historic old towns."

At the conclusion of the dialogue, the mayors from around the world who attended the dialogue jointly endorsed the Huangshan Initiative: first, adhering to heritage protection to build a foundation for civilization; second, deepening cultural exchanges to promote symbiosis; third, strengthening technological empowerment to advance urban governance; and fourth, improving cooperation mechanisms to share responsibilities.

Looking ahead, Badrow said Huangshan and Stralsund will keep learning from each other about heritage preservation and urban governance.

"I am grateful for the friendship between our municipalities in China and Germany, and I am grateful that Stralsund is part of this."

Zhu Lixin in Huangshan, Anhui, contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at houchenchen@chinadaily.com.cn