Continuing Community Spirit: Study on the Public Space of “Pu Jing” Community in the Ancient City of Quanzhou

Abstract

Exploring and continuing the spiritual connotation of community public space is of great significance to shaping the place identity, particularly in the context of China’s current urban renewal wave. "Pu Jing", the grass-roots organization system of Quanzhou in the Ming and Qing dynasties, created the "Pu Jing" community, a governance unit that combined official administration and folk beliefs, and had a profound impact on the public space system of urban communities. The purpose of this study is to interpret the building ideas of public space in "Pu Jing" community by analyzing its physical characteristics and cultural connotations. Taking "Sanjiao Pu" community as a study case, the research examines the composition of its public space by analyzing the spatial carriers and social factors, and explores the spatial structure of the public space by analyzing the relationship, accessibility and scale. Based on this, the formation logic of the community public space is then summarized. The study reveals a public space system with the Pu Jing Temple as the core, the streets and alleys as the link, and the sacrifice circle as the unit was formed in "Pu Jing" community under the combined effect of official management and civil autonomy, creating a stable sense of spatial domain for the residents' ritual and daily activities. The public space of "Pu Jing" community has long played an important role in maintaining neighborhood relations and supporting social activities, and thus serves as a vital connection between individuals and their surroundings, allowing the residents to gain a sense of belonging. Overall, the wisdom of place-making implied in the public space of "Pu Jing" community provide inspiration for contemporary community governance.