How many misunderstandings do you have about the inheritance and protection of intangible cultural heritage?
■ Intangible heritage is not static, and its "handed down from generation to generation" is not that the same thing and the same way are handed down from generation to generation forever, but that cultural traditions are constantly given new creations in the active practice of generations.
■ Intangible heritage is the whole of a cultural phenomenon, not just a product or work that embodies cultural traditions, but also a visible and participatory life; It is not only the expression of a certain cultural tradition, but also its content itself.
"Excessive emphasis on authenticity will turn vivid cultural traditions into rigid mummies." "This intangible cultural heritage project has become their unique tradition unless a local application is successful …" At the national intangible cultural heritage curator training course held in Shanghai recently, the lectures given by relevant experts from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism were refreshing. After a week’s study, many students felt that they had a thorough understanding of the relevant knowledge points of intangible cultural heritage, but they did not expect that many of them were misreading.
Non-genetic inheritance must be authentic?
When it comes to non-genetic inheritance, a word that many people think of is authentic. However, experts point out that the so-called authentic inheritance, if overemphasized, not only does not conform to the historical law of cultural inheritance, but also may turn vivid cultural traditions into rigid mummies.
Suzhou embroidery, for example, takes Suzhou and Wuxian in Jiangsu as its production centers. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the local people have used embroidery for clothing. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, it had the characteristics of fine needle and thread, exquisite color setting and vivid image. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the style of Suzhou embroidery was further formed, not only "every family raises silkworms and embroiders", but also wu school promoted its development, painting with needles and excelling in nature. In the Ming Dynasty, The History of Gusu was highly summarized as "exquisite and elegant", which was called Suzhou embroidery. The ancient Suzhou embroidery has been developing with the times. In the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, Shen Shou’s "simulated embroidery" absorbed the colors and light and shadow principles of western painting and paid attention to realism and three-dimensional sense. At the beginning of last century, Yang Shouyu’s "random needle embroidery" featured overlapping lines and layered coloring. After the founding of New China, Ren Xianxian’s "random needle embroidery" combined the brushwork of sketch with the effect of virtual and real in embroidery. The embroidered mother’s works in the new century have both the light and shadow effect of sketch and the texture of toner.
Without generations of embroiderers learning new knowledge and learning from others, there would be no colorful and vivid situation of Suzhou embroidery today. Experts pointed out that intangible cultural heritage is not static, and its "passing down from generation to generation" is not the same thing and the same way passed down from generation to generation forever, but the cultural tradition is constantly given new creation in the active practice of generation to generation. The times are developing, the environment is changing, and people are changing. Every generation and even everyone has their own experience and understanding of things, their own personality and creative vitality. Because of this, only the development and evolution of culture can lead to the emergence and richness of cultural diversity. This is the essential difference between non-legacy and cultural relics. Cultural relics cannot be re-created, and the re-creation of cultural relics is fraud.
In addition, whether the re-creation of non-genetic inheritance can become a new tradition also needs to be tested by the practice of relevant communities and groups to get their emotional identity. The masses of the people have great power to get rid of the weeds and save the seeds. They will judge which practices, skills, contents and forms, varieties and themes are changed and updated in their own feelings, which can bring them emotional recognition and aesthetic pleasure, and bring them the experience of linking the past with the present. In this way, they will accept it; On the contrary, it will repel.
We should pay close attention to the application for the World Heritage, or we will be registered by other countries?
As a representative of excellent traditional culture, the visibility of China’s intangible cultural heritage in the international community is increasing day by day. Up to now, 39 projects in China have been selected into UNESCO’s list of "masterpieces of oral and intangible heritage of mankind", ranking first in the world. Once upon a time, it was very popular to seize the time to register the legacy. The landmark event was that in 2005, the Korean "gangneung danoje festival" was selected as the "masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of mankind". When the news came out, many Chinese people were still worried about it and thought that "our intangible heritage was taken away by others".
In fact, the declaration of intangible cultural heritage representative is different from trademark registration, country of origin mark and patent application, and there is no exclusivity, no question about birth, no question about the earliest source, and no rush to register. As long as a community or group thinks it is their tradition and meets the corresponding declaration requirements, it can declare. Following the successful application for the gangneung danoje festival, in September 2009, UNESCO formally reviewed and approved the inclusion of China Dragon Boat Festival in the list of "masterpieces of oral and intangible heritage of mankind".
In the development and blending of human civilization, many cultural heritages are shared by many nationalities and regions, or you have me and I have you. Therefore, on the issue of applying for the World Heritage, it is unscientific to say that grabbing notes, newspapers, cultural heritage, ownership, invention, cultural sovereignty, and other countries’ application for the World Heritage lead to the nationalization of our cultural heritage. The existence of cultural heritage in a place has nothing to do with whether it is applied for or not. The declaration of heritage is essentially to improve the visibility of heritage, reflect the diversity of human culture and human creativity, and enhance the consciousness of protecting heritage.
Intangible heritage protection, the first meaning is the work?
What is the first meaning of non-legacy protection? In the opinion of experts, intangible cultural heritage is the whole of a cultural phenomenon, not just a product or work that embodies cultural traditions, but also a visible and participatory life; It is not only the expression of a certain cultural tradition, but also its content itself.
In recent years, China’s intangible heritage protection work has summarized and formed a basic concept: seeing people, seeing things and seeing life. Many non-legacy projects are themselves held by the public, popular customs and popular hobbies, and their continuation mainly depends on public participation and practice rather than skill teaching.
For example, the best way to protect the folk customs of the Spring Festival is to celebrate the Spring Festival. For another example, Naan itself cannot independently constitute an intangible heritage. The skill of making naan is a legacy, and the custom of sharing naan among neighbors and relatives is a legacy. Naan is the product of baking technique and the medium of sharing customs. Protecting the intangible heritage is not to protect the baked naan, but to protect the cultural tradition of making and sharing naan, so that it can be continued and developed in contemporary life.