The tradition of Chinese wooden architecture dates back to ancient times. The construction solutions developed in this country over the centuries enchant with their refined character, while the historical wooden structures delight future generations with their dignity and aesthetic excellence. China`s wooden architecture, deeply rooted in its spiritual and religious traditions, is undoubtedly the pinnacle of this type of building in Asian culture. At the same time, it is a testimony to the national identity and reflects the specificity of the country`s material heritage. The accelerated social and economic changes in China and the constantly advancing globalization of the world have contributed to this country's assimilation of Western concepts related to the protection of cultural heritage. The issue of authenticity in the preservation of wooden built heritage proved particularly problematic. This book brings closer the theoretical understanding and practical application of the idea of authenticity from Chinese perspective. To do this, the issue of living heritage and the reception and understanding of traditional Chinese wooden architecture and its preservation as a direct materialization of Chinese religious and philosophical traditions is discussed. The above topics are treated within the cyclic concept of time, i.e. in terms of progress and repetition, with preservation being understood as a religious practice. Finally, trends in the preservation of wooden heritage in present-day China are mentioned, including new attempts to interpret the tradition and the reinvention of the tradition of wooden building. The book aims to contribute to the understanding of the protection of wooden architectural heritage in China from a new perspective, and will be of particular interest to academics and professionals interested in or involved in the preservation of built wooden heritage. '(...) a highly valuable contribution to the field of wooden architecture protection and preservation', Xiaoming Zhu (Tongji University, Shanghai, China) This book '(...) successfully explains the inheritance characteristics of Chinese wooden architectures from the perspective of cultural philosophy for a wide audience (...)', Yasufumi Uekita, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Historical wooden architecture is one of the most unique types of heritage built. Built from organic material, wooden buildings remain in harmony with the natural environment and fascinate future generations with its special charm. Because of its uniqueness, wooden buildings reflect the richness of traditional building solutions developed in different parts of the world. At the same time, this type of building contains the spiritual values that were important to those who built these architectural structures. The main topics of 'Authenticity in Preserving Historical Wooden Architecture - Problems and Challenges' are: (i) The method of protection and preservation of wooden buildings as a form of specific historical interpretation; (ii) The question of reconstruction and translocation of a wooden historical building with regard to the level of authenticity; (iii) The analysis of the essence of historical changes and the methods for maintaining and displaying wooden structures in relation to the requirements that determine their historical and architectural authenticity. Showing a variety of aspects of authenticity of wooden buildings, all demonstrated by specific examples (case studies), 'Authenticity in Preserving Historical Wooden Architecture - Problems and Challenges' presents practical implementations of theoretical findings. Hence, the book contributes to the understanding of wooden architectural heritage from a new perspective. The book will be of particular interest to academics and professionals interested in or involved in the preservation of built wooden heritage.