In September 2017, the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Summit was held in Xiamen. At the welcome banquet, Xi Jinping introduced the city where he had worked. "Xiamen, with its beautiful scenery and pleasant climate, is a famous sea garden in China. A month ago, Kulangsu, a small island in Xiamen known as the 'museum of universal architecture' and a 'historic international settlement,' was officially listed on the World Heritage List, adding a new color to the city."

In 1986, the Eight Diagrams Building, the largest villa in Kulangsu, was in a state of disrepair and dilapidation. The old floorboards creaked with each step, and more than a dozen families were living there. Gong Jie, then director of the Xiamen Museum, told Xi about the situation. This old building was saved because of Xi's decision to repair it. Today, the Eight Diagrams Building has become a landmark in Kulangsu. Its renovation exemplifies the refurbishment of old villas on Kulangsu.

When Xi Jinping was serving in Xiamen, he presided over the preparation of the Xiamen Economic and Social Development Strategy, which was crucial to the subsequent preservation and development of Kulangsu.

The Kulangsu conservation process follows Xi's instruction to preserve the island not only as a tourist resource but also from the perspective of traditional cultural preservation.

On July 8, 2017, "Kulangsu, a historic international settlement," became a site on the World Heritage List at the 41st World Heritage Conference. Hearing the good news, President Xi asked people to protect the cultural heritage left by the ancestors.

On January 30, 2023, the National Cultural Heritage Administration released the news that China will comprehensively increase the efforts of heritage conservation projects this year.