Yan Su

Yan Su is a PhD researcher in the School of History, Religions and Philosophies at SOAS University of London. Her research examines the conservation and adaptive reuse of religious architecture in Sichuan, China, with a focus on how technical conservation frameworks interact with ritual practice, traditional craftsmanship, and community life in living heritage sites.

Through case studies including Chunyang Guan and Guanyin Temple, her work investigates how restoration processes negotiate the relationship between material preservation and the spatial, sensory, and ritual dimensions of sacred environments. Her research pays particular attention to the role of craft knowledge, the impact of conservation standards, and the challenges of maintaining religious continuity within contemporary heritage governance.

Before joining SOAS, Yan completed a Master of Heritage Conservation at the University of Southern California and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History, with a minor in Socio-Cultural Anthropology, from the University of California, San Diego. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Sichuan, collaborating with local heritage authorities, conservation practitioners, and traditional artisans involved in temple restoration. In 2025, she participated in conservation and documentation initiatives related to the Dazu Rock Carvings.

Su, Yan. Exploring the Conservation of Traditional Chinese Timber Architectural Craftsmanship Through the Restoration of Buddhist Temples in Southwest China. Master of Heritage Conservation thesis, School of Architecture, University of Southern California, May 2025.

• Conservation and adaptive reuse of religious architecture in China, with a focus on temple sites in Sichuan
• Traditional Chinese timber construction, craftsmanship, and the preservation of joinery techniques as intangible cultural heritage
• Religion, space, and the built environment, with particular attention to ritual practice, sensory experience, and lived sacred space
• Heritage governance, conservation standards, and the interaction between technical frameworks and religious practice
• Transmission of craft knowledge and the role of practitioners in heritage conservation
• Community engagement, religious practice, and cultural sustainability in living heritage sites
• Environmental and climatic impacts on historic timber architecture and conservation strategies
• Comparative approaches to heritage conservation in East Asia (e.g., China, Japan, and Southeast Asia)

Exploring the Conservation of Traditional Chinese Timber Architectural Craftmanship through the Restoration of Buddhist Temples in the Southwest China