Since the 2000s, China has witnessed an unprecedented number of reconstruction projects, many of which were spearheaded by political leaders to construct the city walls. Such deeds have come under fierce criticism, as they violate the international conservation principles stipulated in the Venice Charter (1964), which attaches supreme importance to material authenticity. To understand China’s cultural nuance in conceptualising authenticity, this project aims to dismiss a major criticism of China’s conservation practice: reconstruction does not represent a public demand but merely a political decision or, at worst, imposition. Empirically, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with local citizen users around the city walls in Suzhou to capture the perceived authenticity of the reconstructed wall. The collected qualitative data will reveal how the reconstructed walls—a top-down decision of the local government—have fostered a sense of civic pride among local citizens despite the dubious credibility of material authenticity.