Abstract Authenticity is a constructive concept. It is the core principle of protection of cultural heritage, but it is also a controversial issue along with its practice in different geographical and cultural context. Both of the heritage management system and its authenticity principles are not indigenous but developed in the western society and exported from western countries. As a result, conflicts arise with its implementation and therefore often lead to counterintuitive behaviors. This paper examines the heritage conservation process in the case of Hongcun by applying the social constructionism theory. The paper attempts to point out that the bother heritage and the authenticity principles are socially constructed concepts and the construction process is very much influenced by the powers relationship involved. Authenticity in Hongcun is an implementation of the principle of material, static and superficial style understanding, as follows: focus on material aspects of authenticity protection, such as buildings, street pattern, river systems, monuments and other sites, while less attention is paid on the non-material cultural heritage protection, especially reflected in the neglect and the development restrictions on local craft and folk art; only those buildings of specific historical points such as Ming, Qing and Republican period are protected as heritage, rather than as an ongoing legacy of the history and the development process of protection. The protection of heritage style is limited to the appearance of buildings, to their specific parts, such as color, form and roof etc., while the structural safety and quality are ignored. The study illustrates the implementation of the concept of authenticity features international, administrative and elitism in the process, but lack of local voices. The study shows that there is a need to be aware of the nature of the constructiveness and the power relationship of the heritage management and integrate the local voice in heritage conservation process to avoid the conflicts and to achieve the conservation goal.
2012, Vol. 27 
