ABSTRACT
This chapter explores deep mapping, a particular way of narrating the cultural meanings of heritage sites in “deep cities” in the Chinese context. The concept of “deep cities” regards cities as comprising multiple and complex, interrelated temporal layers (Alverti and Fouseki, this volume). It emphasizes the need for change and creations in cities, and thus presents a challenge to the dominant way of engaging with cultural heritage, which focuses on conserving the tangible aspects of heritage in a relatively static way and maintains the power of heritage professionals (Smith 2006). This concept is particularly helpful in China, where most cities have experienced constant changes in their long history.
