The winners of the 2024 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation were announced, and the Shanghai Fangta Park He-Lou Pavilion Cultural Relic Protection Project, based on the significant work of Mr. Feng Jizhong's He-Lou Pavilion, was honored with the Award of Merit and the Special Recognition for Sustainable Development.

Located in the southeast corner of Fangta Park, He-Lou Pavilion was completed in 1986 and is one of Mr. Feng Jizhong's final and most important built works. The bamboo hall, in particular, may be the only existing historical bamboo-structured building in China, with no precedent for its conservation and restoration. In 2014, Fangta Park was designated as a cultural relic protection unit by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. The conservation and restoration work on He-Lou Pavilion began in December 2021, was completed in September 2022, and passed expert inspection by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage in March 2023. The project was also recognized as a 2023 Shanghai Architectural Heritage Conservation and Utilization Demonstration Project.

Through in-depth research into the designer's philosophy, the integration of traditional craftsmanship with modern technology and green, low-carbon concepts, the excavation and archiving of historical materials, and comprehensive electronic documentation, the project has restored He-Lou Pavilion to its original state, established a relatively complete digital archive, and accumulated valuable experience in the restoration of historical bamboo-structured buildings, contributing to the practice and academic research of historical building conservation in China.

The jury for the 2024 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation commented on the He-Lou Pavilion conservation project: The restoration of He-Lou Pavilion opens a new chapter for this landmark 20th-century building designed by pioneering architect Feng Jizhong in 1986. He-Lou Pavilion exemplifies Feng's approach, which emphasizes vernacular architecture and extends the historical significance as part of contemporary architectural practice. Feng's architectural legacy is honored through this restoration project, which adopts an intergenerational cultural transmission approach between master and student to maintain the original design concept. The minimalist structure, repaired using renewable materials such as bamboo and thatch in combination with modern engineering, successfully preserves the spirit of the place and the architect's vision, harmoniously integrating modern architecture and traditional Chinese garden design into a timeless sustainable design philosophy.