The Protection and Inheritance of Qilou Culture Under the Background of Hainan Free Trade Port

Abstract

As Chinas largest and best-preserved arcade building complex, Haikous Qilou Old Street stands as a tangible legacy of the historical wave of "migration to Southeast Asia, " embodying the multifaceted essence of Nanyang culture, overseas Chinese heritage, and the
vibrant urban life. Against the dual backdrop of Hainan Free Trade Port development and the establishment of an international tourism and
consumption hub, Qilou culture now faces both policy-driven opportunities for cultural-tourism integration and practical challenges including
protection-development imbalances and governance system delays. By analyzing the core values and existing challenges of Qilou culture and
leveraging the policy advantages of the Free Trade Port, this paper proposes a heritage preservation strategy emphasizing "protection as the
foundation, revitalization as the priority, and governance as the framework, " offering practical insights for the coordinated development of
historical heritage and modern open urban planning.