Open Hearts Open Doors provides a visual journey to traditional villages throughout rural areas of southeastern China. Photographed between 1995 and 2007 by Elizabeth Gill Lui, this collection
of images focuses on a cultural and architectural vernacular environment struggling to survive amid a dynamically transforming era in China's development.
Complementing the pictures, a prestigious group of contributors offers thoughts and insights on the question of how China can balance heritage preservation and economic growth. Participants
include colleagues of the photographer in academia, architecture, the arts, and public service, representing such institutions as the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Columbia University
School of Journalism, the Getty Conservation Institute, and Shanghai's Tongji University. The views expressed are thoughtful reflections on ongoing and potential efforts that might help to
preserve China's rich cultural legacy. How preservation contributes to cultural identity is central to this discussion.
An epilogue by the architect I. M. Pei closes the book with words of hope for China's future.
