Impact of Cultural Heritage Conservation on Economic Growth and Eco-Environmental Quality: Evidence from County-Level Data in China

While scholarly discourse increasingly emphasizes the crucial role of cultural resources in sustainable development, the specific impact of cultural heritage conservation on economic growth and environmental sustainability remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by empirically examining how traditional village conservation influences economic development and eco-environmental quality at the county level in China. Using the Chinese Traditional Village Protection Project as a quasi-natural experiment, we analyze county-level panel data from 2005 to 2019 and employ a multiperiod difference-in-differences approach to assess the environmental protection and economic development effects of cultural heritage conservation. Our findings reveal that cultural heritage conservation significantly enhances eco-environmental quality while simultaneously stimulating economic growth, and these conclusions remain robust after extensive robustness checks. A heterogeneity analysis indicates that the effects are most pronounced in counties rich in rural cultural resources, characterized by distinctive traditions and a strong Confucian heritage. A further mechanism analysis identifies key pathways through which cultural heritage conservation fosters a win–win scenario of ecological preservation and economic development, including promoting land-efficient development, expanding the tertiary sector, improving farmer welfare, and enhancing local public services.