01462nas a2200121   4500000000100000008004100001100001700042700002000059700001400079245009700093520113600190022001401326                                       d1 aQiaowei Yang1 aBruce Davenport1 aLei Zhang00aHow do older people conserve cultural heritage in rural areas: evidence from Zhejiang, China3 aThis paper investigates older people s role in the conservation of traditional cultural heritage in rural areas. The study incorporated surveys of older people and ethnographic field work in rural towns in the Zhejiang province, China. The findings suggest that older people can play an active role in cultural heritage conservation, and can also help promote the equal valorisation of tangible and intangible heritage within conservation. However, their performance is subject to a series of factors, among which in China the State is the most influential. On the basis of the findings, the authors have developed a framework to explain the relationship between the activities of older people, the State and the preservation of cultural heritage in a selected area in rural China. This article offers empirical evidence to support nascent theories about conservation and urban and rural regeneration from the perspective of an active but ageing population. It is hoped that the work presented will help policy makers justify the promotion of the engagement of local older people in the processes of cultural heritage conservation.  a1945-5224