[Tao Lifan] Definition, evaluation and protection of intangible cultural heritage

Under the great situation that the whole country is paying attention to the rescue and protection of cultural heritage, two years after the launch of the China Folk Culture Rescue Project and the China National Folk Culture Protection Project, we have ushered in China's first Cultural Heritage Day and the announcement of the State Council's "First Batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage List".

For China's intangible cultural heritage, which has been treated coldly for a long time, it is really a double joy and a gratifying occasion.

Cultural heritage includes two categories: material cultural heritage and spiritual cultural heritage.

According to China's cultural heritage protection system, as material cultural heritage, it is mainly protected by the cultural relics department and is supported by the Cultural Relics Protection Law; however, as intangible cultural heritage, there is no corresponding law.

At present, the protection of intangible cultural heritage in China mainly relies on cultural movements.

Whether you can persist for a long time after exercise is a worrying matter.

I remember that as early as 1989, when the ten sets of folk literature and art in China were compiled in an integrated manner, the census of the three sets of folk literature was nearing its end.

At that time, it was initiated by the China Folk Literature and Art Association and other units and held a symposium on the protection of folk culture in the Great Hall of the People.

Mr.

Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, then Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress, attended the meeting.

This meeting responded to the spirit of the "Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folk Creation" adopted by UNESCO at the 25th General Conference held in Paris in 1989, calling on the government to protect folk culture through legislation.

This "folk culture" is what we call "intangible cultural heritage" today.

Because if the protection of intangible cultural heritage is not an act of the government and through legislation, it will be difficult to protect it.

A full 20 years have passed, and today the government has finally intervened in the protection of intangible cultural heritage.

However, legislation is still in difficult labor, which makes us feel sorry.

1.

Definition of Intangible Cultural Heritage

The definition of intangible cultural heritage is a controversial issue in academic circles in recent years.

In the past, this issue seemed to have not much doubt or a problem.

Because before this, concepts such as "folk custom","folk culture","folk culture","folk culture", and "national folk culture" have been used by China's folklore circles or folk culture circles.

Now an academic name "intangible cultural heritage" has suddenly appeared, and this term has become very fashionable.

Many colleges and universities and research institutions have changed their names and established Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Institutes and Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Centers.

Some have proposed to establish Intangible Cultural Heritage disciplines.

In fact, in my opinion, this is just a change of soup without changing the dressing, and a fashionable label.

Just as in previous years, anthropology has become popular, and many disciplines have closely followed the situation and dubbed anthropology before disciplines, such as anthropological sociology, anthropological ethnology, anthropological folklore, etc.

People can't help but ask, what subjects are these? Whether it is sociology, ethnology or folklore, is it necessary to add anthropology to strengthen its appearance? In the final analysis, those of us engaged in research in these disciplines are a little guilty and lack self-confidence.

I dare not admit that folklore or folk culture is an independent subject.

In fact, intangible cultural heritage refers to the folk culture and folk culture that we have been familiar with and studied in the past.

The concepts of "intangible cultural heritage","folk customs" and "folk culture" can be replaced.

Some people think that the concept of "intangible cultural heritage" is richer and broader than the concepts of "folk customs" and "folk culture".

I don't think so.

On the contrary,"folk customs" and "folk culture" have a wider range of research objects than intangible cultural heritage.

A simple truth is that folklore not only studies intangible cultural heritage, but also includes material cultural heritage.

Material folklore, social folklore, and spiritual folklore are all objects of folklore research.

This view is not inconsistent with the spirit of UNESCO's Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Declaration on Cultural Diversity.

The "Recommendations on the Protection of Traditional Culture and Folk Creation" adopted at the 25th UNESCO General Conference held in Paris in 1989 refers to "traditional culture and folk creation." The expression "Oral and Intangible Heritage" is used in the "Declaration on Representative Works of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity".

What is the difference between this and "folk creation" and "traditional folk culture"? It can be said that the content is completely consistent.

In this way, it seems that "intangible cultural heritage" and the traditional concept of "folk customs" in China are completely interchangeable.

If we look at the objects of oral and intangible cultural heritage again, this problem can be better explained.

The "Representative Declaration on the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" issued by UNESCO mentions the definition of oral and intangible heritage: "Oral and intangible heritage refers to all creations from a cultural community that are based on tradition, expressed by a group or individuals and considered to be in line with the expectations of the community, and as an expression of their cultural and social identity, with norms and values passed down orally through imitation or other means.

Its forms include language, literature, music, dance, games, mythology, etiquette, habits, handicrafts, architectural art and other art.

In addition to this, it also includes traditional forms of contact and information." Obviously, this definition includes all material and intangible folk culture or folk culture inherited from the people.

The difference is that the creators of this culture, that is to say, in terms of the creative subject of intangible cultural heritage, are more extensive than what we have previously called "people"(mainly referring to farmers and citizens).

The definition of academic concepts has always been a complex issue.

The development of folklore has a history of more than 100 years.

There are no fewer than dozens of definitions of "folk custom", which one should we abide by? It is necessary to define concepts, but research cannot proceed solely from concepts, but from reality.

2.

Evaluation of Intangible Cultural Heritage

China is a unified multi-ethnic country, and its intangible cultural heritage is not only extremely rich but also has a long history.

How to identify those heritage worthy of protection and inheritance among such a rich and colorful intangible cultural heritage has to involve the identification and evaluation of the intangible cultural heritage that has been passed down so far.

As we all know, whether cultural relics are excavated underground or left behind on the ground, their confirmation and protection require expert identification.

The same is true for intangible cultural heritage when it enters the national list.

Expert identification and evaluation are indispensable links.

Among the rich and colorful intangible cultural heritage of various ethnic groups in China, how to select and identify the heritage as objects of protection involves many issues.

For example, the principle of equality in the screening of intangible cultural heritage; the subjective consciousness, scientific screening and evaluation criteria for the creation of intangible cultural heritage.

The principle of equality in the selection of intangible cultural heritage is very important for a multi-ethnic country like China, that is, to implement equality among all ethnic groups before heritage.

No matter how big or small a nation has its own intangible cultural heritage.

It is unbelievable for a nation without intangible cultural heritage.

Cultural heritage is divided into size and number, but there is no distinction between high and low.

Specifically, when selecting and identifying the list of intangible cultural heritage, Han and ethnic minorities have equal importance.

We cannot only focus on the intangible cultural heritage of the Han people and ignore the intangible cultural heritage of ethnic minorities.

In the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists, compared with ethnic minorities, ethnic minorities are in the minority.

It is not that there is no intangible cultural heritage worth protecting, but that the local governments engaged in the declaration do not attach importance to the intangible cultural heritage of ethnic minorities.

There is a lack of due respect for the intangible cultural heritage of ethnic minorities and varying degrees of will of officials;

Secondly, who is the subject of intangible cultural heritage evaluation, and who will screen and evaluate it.

Whether it is the government or an expert.

In other words, who has the final say in judging the value of intangible cultural heritage? What is the status of the creators and inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, and whether the heritage they create and possess is completely left to people who have nothing to do with the creation of this culture.

Do governments and experts have this authority?

Here, we must first clarify a question, which is the nature of the screening, evaluation and protection of intangible cultural heritage.

Is it evaluated and protected as a government performance? Is it to show off the authority of experts and participate in the evaluation? No matter which region, ethnic group or individual creates intangible cultural heritage, as cultural resources, is the wealth of the country, and the government has the responsibility to protect it.

Note: This is only a responsibility and obligation, not the government's right to enjoy this culture.

Rights belong to the creators and enjoyment of this culture.

In other words, the government and experts screen and evaluate intangible cultural heritage to serve the inheritors of this culture.

The nature of work is service-oriented and cannot be put the cart before the horse and replaced by the government and experts.

I have participated in many local naming surveys on "Cultural Hometowns".

When listening to reports from relevant local departments, officials and experts sat down in a large area, and some cultural inheritors were also invited, but most of them sat aside in response to the situation.

After the report, officials and experts gathered together happily to eat and drink, without any inheritors.

It is not advisable to regard the identification of intangible cultural heritage as a government performance and a topic for experts.

Inheritors should be placed on top.

They are the masters of intangible cultural heritage.

Officials and experts should learn to respect them.

Respecting them means respecting the sanctity of the creation and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage.

In this way, the main body of intangible cultural heritage should be the groups and individuals who create and inherit this culture.

When the party concerned does not understand and does not realize the cultural value he has created and the need for protection, even if this cultural heritage is included in the list, it cannot be expected to be continued and protected for a long time.

Many intangible cultural heritage has been passed down to this day.

What power does it rely on? Do we rely on the power of the government or the power of the people and the wisdom of the people? Of the 518 items in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, none were created by the government and experts.

The people have created so many national-level intangible cultural heritage, shouldn't they be looked at with respect?

I am not belittle the role of the government and experts, but that in the protection of intangible cultural heritage, we must provide good services.

In the protection of intangible cultural heritage, the government has the responsibility of the government, which includes formulating policies, organizing capital investment, etc., and providing good services; experts have the responsibility of experts, and their responsibility is to conduct fieldwork, carefully inspect and research, tell the inheritor what the value of the culture he has created is, and at the same time put forward suggestions for protection.

Only by mobilizing the enthusiasm of inheritors and creating a good protection environment can the protection of intangible cultural heritage last long and achieve good results.

3.

Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage

In addition to material guarantees, cultural heritage is also the foundation for the survival of a country and a nation.

The only reason why China becomes China is marked by the culture he created.

If this culture disappears, the country and nation will lose their meaning of existence.

Culture is a creation and a choice.

Retaining inheritance means retaining history and preserving the lifeblood of culture.

In today's era of rapid social changes, the powerful Western culture has entered people's lives on a large scale, causing rapid changes in production methods and lifestyles.

Protecting the nation's intangible cultural heritage and establishing a world cultural diversity system are not only a slogan, but also an action.

This reflects people's yearning for cultural diversity and yearning for a future life that will not be swallowed up by a single culture, making life rich and colorful.

In order to establish a national intangible cultural heritage list, the Ministry of Culture has formulated a series of evaluation standards.

For the country, the formulation of standards cannot be divorced from political purposes.

I think the determination of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List must contain political considerations, which is beyond reproach.

However, we pay more attention to the universal standards for the evaluation of intangible cultural heritage, which are the historical, artistic and academic standards determined by the World Heritage Committee or the China government.

Protection is also guided by this standard.

When it comes to protection, we should still return to the main body of intangible cultural heritage creation, that is, who will protect it.

Whether it is the government, experts or the subject of inheritance.

The answer is the latter.

At this point, the protection of intangible cultural heritage in China is still in a chaotic and disorderly state.

The way to protect it is also constantly exploring.

One fact should attract our attention, that is, before and after the publication of the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, many developers were already eager to make a move.

They worked closely with the tourism industry at all levels of departments, and there were many blessings and woes.

For the protection of intangible cultural heritage, the easiest way is to hand over the responsibility and rights of protection to the inheritors, to the inheriting groups or individuals, and never to economic figures such as developers.

The protection of intangible cultural heritage will definitely produce economic benefits, including government investment.

But this benefit should be given to the inheritors first.

The inheritance of intangible cultural heritage is regular, and protection should respect this rule.

The intangible cultural heritage determined to be protected has historical value, cultural historical value and aesthetic value.

While not destroying these values, developers and tourism departments can use intangible cultural heritage for development and utilization.

In addition, protection is not a rigid intangible cultural heritage, but while protecting, it can be innovated with the development of the times to adapt cultural heritage to changed material and cultural life.

Without development, there can be no protection.

Only by adhering to the same origin is protection in the true sense.

In short, the protection of intangible cultural heritage has both theoretical and practical issues.

Strengthening theoretical research is an important and indispensable link in protection work.

Originally published in "Collection of Papers of the Forum on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in China" Culture and Art Press

2007