An aerial photo of Yantai's Suochengli Historical and Cultural Block. [Photo/VCG]

Yantai's Suochengli Historical and Cultural Block has won the Silver Award for Heritage Protection and Revitalization at the 2026 Asia Urban Renewal Awards (AURA), recognizing the city's efforts to protect and renew its urban heritage.

Organized by the Beijing Sino-Foreign Friendship Union Architectural and Cultural Exchange Center and other institutions, AURA is Asia's only award dedicated to urban regeneration. This year's edition drew over 500 projects, with winners selected by a panel of 27 experts.

As the birthplace of Yantai, Suochengli carries six centuries of coastal defense history and Jiaodong folk culture. Its approach was included in the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development's list of replicable best practices for historic block protection and utilization.

The renewal project has restored historic spaces while creating new venues for traditional cultural practices. Twelve traditional courtyards have been converted into studios for practitioners of 21 forms of intangible cultural heritage, including Wu-style tai chi, mantis boxing and Yantai paper-cutting. Another historic courtyard has been turned into an exhibition hall, where multimedia and interactive displays introduce visitors to the area's history.

A government-guided, market-operated, community-involved model has also taken shape, with commercial revenue reinvested into heritage protection. The revitalized block has since been recognized as a national-level nighttime culture and tourism consumption cluster.