[Liu Xicheng] Industrialization of "intangible cultural heritage": A controversial issue
The issue of "intangible cultural heritage" protection has become one of the focuses of cultural workers and society.
The slogan "productive protection methods" had not been put forward long ago, but the slogan "industrialization" had appeared in the media one after another.
By early November, there were as many as 3800 searches on the Internet.
As an extension of "productive protection", the proposal of "industrial protection" is also controversial.
1) Several views on "industrialization" protection
Viewpoint 1:"Productive protection" and "industrial protection" are not the same thing;"commercial operation" and "industrial development" are not the same thing
In February 2009, at the "Forum on Productive Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage" held by the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center in Beijing, Xu Yiyi, a professor at Nanjing Academy of Fine Arts and a member of the National Expert Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection, pointed out: "Productive protection and industrialization are completely different things." "Industrialization requires scale and standards, but culture requires individuality, uniqueness, and differences.
Industrialization requires low-cost and mass production, which is exactly contrary to craftsmanship." It is necessary to distinguish "productive protection" from "intangible cultural heritage" and "industrialization".
[1]
During the "China Intangible Cultural Heritage Traditional Skills Exhibition" held at the same time, Cai Shuikuang, the twelfth generation successor of Cai's Lacquer Line Carving in Xiamen, said in an interview with reporters: If there is no batch production, it is not good for a skill to be maintained by the country.
A large amount of development of production can cultivate many apprentices.
Then this industry has greater development prospects and will have a greater impact on local cultural contributions.
But productive protection does not mean simple industrialization.
Lacquer line carving skills face the contradiction between huge economic value and traditional production techniques.
The prerequisite for the development and utilization of intangible cultural heritage is respect.
Traditional handicraft products should not rely on quantity and scale to win, but should be produced in small batches, follow a high, refined and sophisticated market route, use high-quality raw materials and superb handicrafts, integrate spiritual connotations, and increase the cultural added value of handicrafts.
[2]
In March 2009, during the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Feng Jicai, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, director of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Expert Committee of the Ministry of Culture, and chairman of the China Folk Literary and Art Association, said in an interview: What he is now saddened by is that the current industrialization of cultural heritage in many places mostly comes from the "will of the chief officials" and the commercial planning of the developers.
There is neither the participation and strict approval of expert groups, nor the cultural wisdom and scientific vision of experts, or even simply linked to local political achievements and economic benefits.
Even if individual experts are asked to give ideas, it is ultimately the officials and the developers who have the final say.
Some officials and developers also confidently believe that when cultural heritage is industrialized and makes money, it has received attention and played a role.
Feng Jicai retorted that once cultural heritage is industrialized, it will inevitably be deconstructed and reorganized in accordance with commercial rules.
Those with great economic potential and can become selling points will be brought to the forefront, while those parts that cannot enter the market will be put aside, resulting in the fragmentation and differentiation of "intangible cultural heritage".
Ethnic languages and folk literature in ancient villages, folk epics, legends, stories, ballads, etc.) are the fastest disappearing "intangible cultural heritage".
[3][3]
In July 2009, Yuan Li, a researcher at China Art Research Institute and Gu Jun, an associate professor at Beijing Union University, pointed out in an article: "The two concepts of commercial operation and industrial development must be distinguished.
The so-called commercial operation refers to the commercial marketing of a finished intangible cultural heritage as a commodity; while industrial development refers to the large-scale mechanization of a certain intangible cultural heritage as a development project.
Production and industrial management.
The impact of these two situations on intangible cultural heritage is different, and should be analyzed on specific issues." [4]
Viewpoint 2:"Industrialization" is a "double-edged sword"
As early as July 21, 2005, Mr.
Wu Lusheng, an expert on ethnic and folk cultural protection projects in Zhejiang Province, delivered a speech at the first batch of representatives working meeting on the national intangible cultural heritage list in Zhejiang Province and pointed out: "The inheritance of living cultural heritage is different from the preservation of museums.
Protection is development and inheritance based on preservation.
Nowadays, some industrial operations are a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, they introduce these traditional cultural things into modern society, and on the other hand, they create a kind of constructive destruction driven by economic interests, making these things lose their true colors." [5]
In May 2009, the survey article "Fight a War to Defend the Cultural Gene of the Chinese Nation", No.
4,"Variation and Distortion: The Commercialization of the Three Major Assassins of 'National Treasures on Earth'" by the reporter of "Banyuetan" said: "The survey by the reporter of Banyuetan found that Among the many categories of intangible cultural heritage, traditional handicrafts belonging to the category of productive intangible cultural heritage are relatively easy to transform into productivity, thus going to the market and realizing commodity value.
However, even on the issue of protecting such productive methods of intangible cultural heritage, many experts call for caution in industrialization to avoid muting and deviating from its original origin.
Wu Bingan, a famous folklore scholar, said that many local leaders are happy to hear 'utilization', but what is 'reasonable utilization' is difficult to define.
Due to the different producibility attributes of various intangible cultural heritage projects, some are suitable for large-scale development, and some are not suitable at all." "Indeed, for intangible cultural heritage protection, industrialization is also a double-edged sword.
If it is not used properly, it will cause harm.
After all, as an economic concept, industrialization includes the following elements: market-oriented operation form, reaching a certain degree of scale, close relationship with capital, and the purpose of maximizing profits; intangible cultural heritage is, after all, culture, and it transcends private ownership and profit.
The shared spiritual significance of mankind.
To resolve the contradiction between the two, it is necessary to establish management mechanisms and profit distribution systems such as evaluation, monitoring, and regulation for marketization and post-industrialization of intangible cultural heritage, and actively seek the background of the new era while adhering to the principle of integrated protection of cultural ecology."
Viewpoint 3: my country's intangible cultural heritage must follow the path of industrialization
According to a report by a reporter from "Shenzhen News Network" published by "Shenzhen Special Zone Daily" on May 20, 2007:"'Intangible cultural heritage must seek market-based means to protect, develop and apply it!' During the interview, the reporter heard that this concept has become the consensus of all parties, which is also in line with the theme of 'transaction' of the ICIF...' Industrial development is the only way out for rescue and protection!' Li Qianbin, director of the Guizhou Province Museum, said,'Guizhou has more than 40 intangible cultural heritage items, and we have been thinking about how to solve this problem.
The government is also considering giving the inheritor a title and providing living expenses to the apprentice to support it, but this is not a solution to the root cause.
If it cannot be connected to the market and no one likes it, the more you do, the more you waste it, and it will eventually be lost.
Only when intangible cultural heritage is recognized and accepted by the market and has a material foundation can its excavation and protection be fed back, and a virtuous cycle can be formed." [6]
In April 2008, Professor Chen Jianqin from the Tourism Planning and Development Research Center of Shanghai University delivered a speech at the Conference on the Protection and Development of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ethnic Minorities held in Inner Mongolia and wrote in a report entitled "Research on the Industrialization of Intangible Cultural Heritage":"In order to effectively protect and develop intangible cultural heritage and maintain the essence of China's traditional culture, my country's intangible culture must follow the path of industrial development.
Through the scientific development of intangible cultural resources, we must preserve ourselves in development and carry forward them to produce greater social effects and exercise greater social responsibilities." "Intangible culture is a unique tourism resource.
Developing intangible cultural tourism products is of great benefit to the inheritance and protection of intangible culture." "Tourism product development is the engine of intangible cultural protection." [7]
Viewpoint 4: Partial and moderate industrialization
In January 2008, the Social Science Edition of the Journal of Tongji University published an article by Wang Songhua and Liao Rong,"Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage from the Perspective of Industrialization", saying: "From the perspective of industrialization, the industrialization of intangible cultural heritage It is necessary and possible...
Intangible cultural heritage cannot exist independently.
It must be attached to a specific carrier before it can be displayed, disseminated, stored and passed on.
Generally speaking, the carriers of intangible cultural heritage can be roughly divided into symbols, general material entities and people.
Traditionally, inheritors are believed to be the most important carrier of intangible cultural heritage, but in the modern social environment, the market has become the best carrier of intangible cultural heritage.
Carrier and communication space...
Some intangible cultural heritage projects with good economic potential value and high market-oriented feasibility should follow the industrialization path of self-strengthening and self-development." [8]
In March 2008, Xin Ru of Hebei University Museum published "Feasibility Study on the Industrialization and Management of Intangible Cultural Heritage", saying: "While emphasizing the authenticity and original ecological protection of intangible cultural heritage, we must also have a moderate economic concept, have the mind and awareness to promote protection through development, and dare to establish strategic ideas for industrialization for those that can not only show national cultural characteristics but also have economic development value., market development prospects, advantageous cultural resources, intangible cultural heritage, we must dare to establish strategic ideas.
Carry out scientific brand positioning, formulate reasonable marketing strategies, concentrate on cultivating advantageous cultural brands, transform cultural resource advantages into economic advantages, and fully realize the industrial value of intangible cultural heritage." [9]
2) Exploration of the marketization path of "intangible cultural heritage" products
In recent years, on the one hand, as quoted above, extensive discussions have been held on the possibilities, advantages and disadvantages of "intangible cultural heritage","marketization" and "industrialization" protection.
Such discussions are extremely needed and are conducive to practice.
Avoid detours and deviations; on the other hand, some "intangible cultural heritage" project holders, leaders and operators are actively exploring the possibility of "marketization" or even "industrialization" protection.
In terms of exploring the "industrialization" of "intangible cultural heritage" projects in rural rural society, some successful experiences have been continuously transmitted from various places, which not only inherits the core and cultural connotations of traditional "intangible cultural heritage" skills, but also develops when the internal laws of culture permit.
Most of these projects are craft or folk art projects with traditional skills as the core, but have historically been naturally interdependent with the market, such as New Year paintings, paper-cutting, toys, clay sculptures, embroidered shoes, etc.
Good news has come from all over the industrial development of New Year paintings and paper-cutting.
The main reasons for this are that, first, such "intangible cultural heritage" projects have a natural and inseparable flesh-and-blood relationship with people's beliefs and psychological demands.
Second, they have been able to survive, spread, inherit and develop historically due to the market.
Under modern conditions, they can successfully enter the market and provide driving force for their survival and development.
Embroidery shoes and other handmade embroidery products.
According to data provided by Yang Zhaohua, vice president of the Home Visiting Branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, a pair of embroidered shoes embroidered with a pair of flexible dragon and phoenix patterns by a peasant woman in Gansu sell for US$300 on the British Internet; a pair of hand-embroidered coasters sell for US$100.
[10]At present, there are no more than two keys that are troubling us: one is the adjustment of the export structure, and how grassroots governments and commercial institutions, such as county-level governments and commercial institutions, provide channels for the production of "intangible cultural heritage" projects in rural areas, and the other is how the holders and inheritors refine the essence of traditional culture.
The industrialization of Qingyang sachet in Gansu Province, known as "a wonderful flower on the yellow soil", is a successful example.
Qingyang Sachet Industry Group Co., Ltd.
was established locally, and the Beijing Sales Center for Qingyang Sachet Rust Products was established in Beijing.
Rust sachet from every household was purchased and delivered to all parts of the world through commercial operations such as agency sales.
The sachet is not only an arts and crafts product, but also full of national cultural symbols and metaphors, bringing blessings to people who pray for happiness.
Recently, I read a brief report on "Fujian Province's Rural Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Industrialization Development Seminar Held in Fuzhou" published in "Fujian Province Intangible Cultural Heritage Work Brief", which provided us with interesting materials and information.
The report said: "The meeting pointed out that the rational use of intangible cultural heritage and the development of cultural industries are an important means for the productive protection of intangible cultural heritage.
In Fujian's existing provincial-level intangible cultural heritage list, some qualified projects with a certain industrial foundation and market scale have explored an operating mechanism that adapts to market rules and achieves new inheritance and development.
There are also some rural intangible cultural heritage projects that are already qualified for development and utilization, facing difficulties such as insufficient funding and weak research and development capabilities, and falling into a bottleneck in development." [11]Rural "intangible cultural heritage" projects with relatively mature experience in Fujian include six projects including Shoushan Stone Carving, Anxi Tieguanyin, and Putian Wood Carving; while Fuzhou cork Painting, Ningde Huotong Line Lion, Yongchun Paper Painting, etc.
have potential, but encounter development bottlenecks.
Unfortunately, we did not see specific materials.
According to a reporter from Xinhua Agency, at the 21st Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair held in June 2009, Longjiang shadow puppets, Fangzheng paper-cutting and embroidery became the highlights of business attention.
However, how to inherit and develop the intangible cultural heritage that shows the characteristics of the northern ethnic minorities through "industrialization" is empty and has no experience reported.
[12]
In terms of the productive protection and even industrialization exploration of the "intangible cultural heritage" of rural rural society, I personally conducted a survey on paper-cutting and paper-cutting enterprises in Yu County, Hebei Province in 2008, and wrote an article titled "A Model of 'Living' Protection".
Taking the rise and fall of the paper-cutting factories in Yu County County, mainly the two brothers Gao Dianliang and Gao Dianxin in Danhou Village, Nanliuzhuang Town, as an example, I proposed and elaborated "traditional paper-cutting and paper-carving art as an intangible cultural heritage.
How to enhance its own adaptability and sustainable development in a modern living environment." Paper-cutting/window grilles relied on folk festivals and rural markets in the old times, which is traditional.
The situation has changed now.
There is not only a local market, but also a market for export.
Therefore, I definitely propose that "the industrialization of window grilles/paper-cutting is a product of the new era." Relying on the factory's talent and technical advantages, the Gao brothers have cultivated hundreds of paper-cutting technical talents, driving and radiating three surrounding villages to become professional paper-cutting villages, and 120 farmers have been lifted out of poverty and become rich.
I think: "Transforming the traditional personal creation model into a cultural industry model is an alternative model under the idea of 'living' protection of intangible cultural heritage, and of course it is not the only model." [13]Paper-cutting and waist drums in Ansai County, Shaanxi Province, are also included in the national intangible cultural heritage list."The value of folk art created by working women in Ansai far exceeds the folk art itself,...
has become a new growth point for the county economy." [14]
As for the "intangible cultural heritage" in large cities, there are roughly two types.
One category is traditional projects in rural society, and the other category is projects in metropolitan civil society.
I once put forward this idea in the preface to the book "Folk Culture Protection in Urban Context" written by Cai Fengming, a Shanghai "intangible cultural heritage" expert: Compared with the "intangible cultural heritage" of rural society,"most of the intangible culture in metropolitan areas has been divorced from the attachment and restriction of people's beliefs, especially those handicrafts that are easy to move closer to commodity attributes and enter commodity circulation.
Most of them are developing towards personalized, refined, and artistic commodities and transforming into a completely secular and appreciative culture.
Some of them have entered the ranks of contemporary popular culture such as certain intangible cultural heritage goods at temple fairs), and some belong to the elegant, noble, precious culture that is only attracted by a few rich people and purchased and collected by collectors, such as jade carving, lacquer carving, tooth carving, etc.)."[15] Paperwork" intangible cultural heritage "projects based on materials, such as jade, enamel, ivory carvings, bone carvings, utensils, velvet bird silk flowers, silk inlay, drama costumes, etc.
owned by Chongwen District of Beijing City, the manufacturing process itself is production, and adopting a productive protection method is the proper meaning of the title.
At the same time, it must be recognized by the public through commercial operation, thereby generating profits.
In this regard, Beijing City, especially Chongwen District, where handicrafts are concentrated, has accumulated some experience.
Of course, there are also some projects across the country that have been relatively successful.
For example, as one of the first batch of national-level "intangible cultural heritage" lists, Su Xi has already developed on the road to marketization.
In the past, Su Ruyi handmade by Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute has always followed the path of pure art, only creating and basically not selling it to the public.
In 2006, they participated in the Shenzhen ICIF for the first time and regarded the participation as a test to enter the market.
The result was unexpected and there were many orders on the spot.
By the 2007 ICIF, they had tripled the exhibition venue to 720 square meters and brought the most classic works.
Nowadays, in response to market demand, it has launched fashion clothing series, bedding series, etc., and entered the homes of ordinary people; at the same time, Su Xiu has also gone abroad to Europe and other countries for exhibitions and publicity, making the market bigger and bigger.
[16]It will take time to see whether their market-oriented clothing series and bedding tests are successful and whether they can gain recognition from both experts and the public.
In November 2009, the author participated in the "intangible cultural heritage" inspection team organized by the Ministry of Culture.
During an inspection in Zhenhu Street, he visited and visited Lu Fuying, the national inheritor of Su Embroidery, and saw his embroidery art museum and exhibits.
Her embroidery has become foreign affairs gifts of the country and government and foreign collectibles, and there is basically no problem of sales.
For another example, the industrialization of clay sculpture has also achieved considerable achievements.
Those that have entered the national protection list include Tianjin clay figurines Zhang, Huishan clay figurines, Fengxiang clay figurines, Nigu in Jun County, Yutian clay figurines, Suzhou clay figurines, Niejiazhuang clay figurines, Dawu clay figurines, Xu's clay figurines, Miao clay shao, and Yang's family clay figurines.
Clay figurine Zhang Beijing Branch) is under application.
According to relevant information, Huishan clay figurines were introduced into the industrial system with the strong support of the local government.
Clay Figurine Zhang has three companies with total sales of 12 million yuan last year.
In Liudaying Village, where Hu Shen, the inheritor of Fengxiang clay sculptures, is located, there are hundreds of people making clay sculptures.
Clay sculptures have become an important local industry and have been exported to more than ten countries.
Yang Jianian, the fifth-generation successor of Ningxia Yang's clay sculpture, established the company, with sales reaching 50,000 to 60,000 yuan in January.
[17]At present, the "intangible cultural heritage" of clay sculptures still belongs to the amphibious "intangible cultural heritage" projects that are rooted in the countryside and involved in the city.
That is to say, they not only maintain the life and life needs of the villagers and the mysterious cultural code hidden under the humble body, but gradually loses its mysterious code and crosses the road of pure art.
According to materials, except for the difficult situation of Mugu in Henan, most of the other clay sculptures have achieved considerable development and their prospects are very optimistic.
Thirdly, Nantong blue calico also provides good experience.
Recall that in 1986, when Wu Yuanxin from Nantong came to the Beijing National Culture Palace to participate in Nantong's folk art exhibition in Beijing, he was still a young collector of blue calico.
Now, he has opened a huge blue calico museum, and he himself has also been recognized as a national inheritor of blue calico.
According to a report in September 2009, Wu Yuanxin said that after 2000, the export of blue calico woven with traditional raw materials and techniques gradually stopped and gradually turned into domestic sales, but the market was never large.
He was confused.
As a scholar who has known him since the 1980s and somewhat understood his life path, the author believes that his understanding and feelings have been driven by the entrepreneur's view of profit, rather than the skills of blue calico.
The thoughts of the inheritors.
Pursuing profit maximization is the nature of entrepreneurs.
At this point, how to unify the two roles of inheritors and entrepreneurs is a pair of difficult contradictions.
He believes that his blue calico lacks a good commodity form as a commodity.
So now, he is working with Aimu Underwear to apply the concept of blue calico to underwear design and launch a series of products in traditional style.
We will wait and see whether the authenticity of the skills as intangible cultural heritage will be lost.
"Intangible cultural heritage" projects go to the market or realize their value through the market, which is an inherent feature of some projects.
Whether it is "intangible cultural heritage" items consumed by the masses, such as New Year paintings, paper-cuts, kites, toys, weaving, silk flowers, etc., or high-end products consumed by wealthy people, collectors or aristocrats, such as brocade, jade carvings, wood carvings, and silk inlays, etc., all realize their value through the market.
But the market is not yet industrialized.
Or rather, it is just the first step towards industrialization.
Industrialization is the link and integration of the two fields of production and sales.
Yang Zhaohua, vice president of the Home Textiles Branch of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said: How to put intangible cultural heritage on the market? The first step is commercialization, and the second step is to refine China elements.
Then, only by combining these elements with industrial production can the industrialization of intangible cultural heritage be truly realized.
Thanks to his efforts, as a first step, Nanjing brocade, blue calico, Tujia brocade, Miao batik, Lu Rusty, Tibetan carpet, Su Rusty, etc.
were unveiled at the China International Home Textile Exhibition, which opened on August 20.
High-end products such as the 1500-year-old Nanjing Yunjin craftsmanship can only be done by hand and cannot be woven with modern machines; and the price of finished products is also very high.
Even if they are made into bedding, the price will cost 1 million yuan a set.
[18][18] In other words, Yun brocade itself cannot be produced and industrialized on a large scale.
It can always be a high-end product of handicrafts.
In the past, it was only collected or enjoyed by emperors or high-level officials.
Now social conditions have changed.
It may be a national gift or become a commodity.
It may be purchased and collected by wealthy people through the market, thereby realizing its value.
Not long ago, when the author visited the Inspectorate Yunjin Research Institute with the inspection team of the Ministry of Culture, he inspected the entire process of Yunjin wood machine makeup and handmade weaving skills.
Their inheritance model was: planned to include Yunjin majors in the scope of vocational education, Nanjing Zhonghua Vocational Secondary School and Nanjing Textile Technical School of Pukou Vocational Secondary School regularly train artists.
[19]
3) Concerns about the industrialization of intangible cultural heritage
What we have mentioned above is mainly in the field of traditional skills and partly in the field of folk art, where "productive methods" and even "industrialization models" are used to protect "intangible cultural heritage" projects, and some successful or relatively successful cases.
Other categories other than these two types of "intangible cultural heritage", such as folk literature, performing arts, sports competition, folk customs, etc., have hardly been touched by us.
The lack of mention does not mean that there are no issues worth exploring in these aspects.
The so-called successful people, the author believes that their mark is that no matter what method is adopted, including productive methods and industrialization methods, the core skills (not just technology) and the original cultural implications of the core values of the "intangible cultural heritage" project are protected as a prerequisite, rather than at the expense of the authenticity, integrity and inherent cultural implications of their skills.
Any so-called industrialization at the expense of traditional skills and their cultural connotations is undesirable and is something we firmly oppose.
The intangible cultural heritage industrialization of Wuxi Huishan clay figurines has explored its own path.
Its industrialization focuses on increasing government support, rather than focusing on modern industrialized production methods and the pursuit of product standardization and serialization.
The city has fully launched the restoration of five major historical and cultural districts, Huishan, Qingmingqiao, Xiaolou Lane and Dangkou, making the five districts a new platform for the protection of intangible cultural heritage.
Scientific distribution of intangible cultural heritage projects in historical and cultural districts not only enriches the cultural connotation of the district, but also promotes the industrialization process of intangible cultural heritage projects such as clay figurines.
They also have plans to establish a "China Clay Figurine Museum." Jiangsu Governor Luo Zhijun said when conducting research on Huishan clay figurines: "In the intangible cultural heritage protection project, the government should increase support and promote the industrialization process of intangible cultural heritage." [20]
The "First China Zhejiang) Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo and the 6th China Time-honored Brand Competition Expo" held in Hangzhou from September 17 to 20, 2009 discussed "How to industrialize intangible cultural heritage?" The answer given is: The industrialization of intangible cultural heritage does not use modern large-scale production to replace traditional handmade production, but "building a productive protection platform for intangible cultural heritage, organizing the chairmen of 50 foreign trade companies and 50 cultural dealers to participate in the exhibition and negotiate, and helping Representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage projects and time-honored enterprises settled in the Oriental Cultural Park." For example, Quzhou time-honored brand "Shao Yongfeng Ma Cake" has cooperated with Taiwan's China Online International Business Co., Ltd.
to open stores in Taiwan's Kaohsiung Dream Times Department Store, Tainan's Confucius Temple Front Cultural Park, Hsinchu University Campus, and Taipei Department Store.
Zhejiang has 657 items selected in the national list, ranking first in the country.
For example, Zhang Xiaoquan, Wang Xingji and Shao Yongfeng, a large number of them have a time-honored enterprise behind them.
Their vision is: "We particularly hope that some shopping malls in other places can open counters for Zhejiang intangible cultural heritage products." [21]
The exploration of "industrialization" protection methods for these projects is certainly characterized by the hope of "realizing the economic value of intangible cultural heritage in a market economy", but the ultimate goal is not to "produce intangible cultural products on a large scale"[22], but to truly protect the core skills and core connotations of "intangible cultural heritage" through "industrialization" management.
Therefore, no industrialization method and plan for general enterprises, namely the so-called "asset reorganization", has been adopted.
Adopt "modern technology", build large-scale production lines, replace original materials with modern materials, standardize products, etc.
Although we have listed some examples of successful protection of "intangible cultural heritage" projects with traditional skills as the core through the "industrialization" model, the author still can't help but hold on to the path of industrialization of "intangible cultural heritage".
A kind of uneasy psychology and worry.
Various intangible cultural heritage categories and different projects in the same category cannot adopt the same "industrialization" method indiscriminately.
In other words, there is no uniform answer to whether to adopt the "industrialization" model for "intangible cultural heritage" protection, and which category and project can be protected under the industrialization model, so we must be cautious.
The "industrialization" path of intangible cultural heritage proposed by some scholars is a warning of a "double-edged sword" and deserves attention.
The danger lies in the fact that it may introduce "intangible cultural heritage" into the market and modern life, and turn it into a tool and industry for making money., it may also destroy the true skills of "intangible cultural heritage" and eventually destroy the craftsmanship passed down from our ancestors.
I think that those who have this feeling are not only scholars like me, but even some responsible persons in "intangible cultural heritage" protection units are no exception.
Yu Xianglian, the national inheritor of Huishan clay sculptures mentioned earlier, is equally uneasy.
She said: "If the unique skills passed down by our ancestors are mastered by many people, it has lost the meaning of 'unique skills'." "Will industrialized clay sculpture production be another form of disappearance of intangible cultural heritage?" [23]Perhaps this is the reason why the industrialization of "intangible cultural heritage" has attracted so much attention and is controversial!
The path of "industrialization", as some scholars said,"is to completely turn something into an economic industry and operate it in accordance with the rules and laws of the industry." Industrialization is a dynamic process.
Simply put, it is comprehensive marketization.
It mainly includes the following key points: market-oriented economic operation form; reaching a certain scale; close relationship with capital; and aiming at profit." [24]What is pursued is the relative concentration of resources and industry reorganization and deployment, the expansion of economic benefits and production capacity scale, the substitution of machine production for manual work, and the substitution of personalization and uniqueness of products with serialization and standardization of products, thus requiring those "intangible cultural heritage" projects that do not have economic functions will be transformed into economic benefits through economic operations and commercial operations.
In this process, either the market is used to change the skills, or blindly over-develop, or many modern elements are forcibly added for innovation, or the inheritors are forced to lose their autonomy in inheriting the skills due to changes in production relations, or blindly command...
In the end, leading to the simplification, roughening, convergence, and poor quality of traditional skills, a large number of such "intangible cultural heritage" products have been found to be popular in the market).
Traditional skills are likely to be destroyed and forgotten in this social environment of capital and profit.
When discussing the industrialization of "intangible cultural heritage", I think we should not forget some lessons from history.
During the wave of socialist transformation in the 1950s and 1960s, handicraft workshops in many industries were merged into cooperatives and then into state-owned factories.
Due to various reasons such as planning, markets, leadership and led relations, labor relations, funds and materials, personnel and craftsmanship, many long-passed, unique and outstanding handicrafts were fragmented in the dust of history, with inheritors changing careers and skills cut off, and some even disappeared into oblivion.
Since the transformation of the planned economic system, many factories have gone bankrupt and their personnel have been dispersed.
For example, Beijing silk inlay, which was once glorious, the Beijing Arts and Crafts Factory, which historically concentrated 14 traditional handicrafts, declared bankruptcy in December 2004.
Four to five hundred people engaged in silk inlay production skills were lost and are currently engaged in this industry.
Only a few dozen people are left.
The fate of the Beijing Equipment Products Factory is similar.
It announced its closure in 1992.
Today, Xing Lanxiang only has one studio in the "Hundred Works Workshop".
Now that the government is embarking on the protection of intangible cultural heritage, it has to reintegrate its forces.
Some even have to start from scratch, restore long-lost projects and skills, and re-cultivate new successors.
Regarding the protection of "intangible cultural heritage", after awakening, recovering, and summarizing experience and lessons from the destruction of traditional folk culture caused by the "leftist" trend of thought, we cannot consciously or unconsciously fall into the blind pursuit of industrialization.
The wave and make repeated mistakes.
"Industrialization" is one option, but not all; for some categories and projects, it may be the best option, but for others, it may not be appropriate or the best option.
In short, when deciding what model to adopt for "intangible cultural heritage" protection, we must make it clear that our ultimate goal is protection, rather than sacrificing traditional skills and cultural connotations to maximize profits.
Therefore, we must analyze and select one by one.
Conduct disciplinary argumentation and then make decisions.
This may be the difference between the industrialization of "intangible cultural heritage" protection and other economic projects.
Revised on January 20, 2010
Notes: ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]"Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection: Rediscovering the Value of" Hands ", Oriental Morning Post, February 16, 2009.
[2]According to Xinhua Agency on February 24, 2009.
[3]Zhou Qingyin and others,"Sharing the Chinese Spiritual Home under Cultural Identity-Fighting a War to Protect the Cultural Genes of the Chinese Nation" 4),"Banyuetan" May 31, 2009.
[4]Yuan Li and Gu Jun,"The development of intangible cultural heritage should follow the laws of inheritance","China Intellectual Property News", July 3, 2009, page 10.
[5]"Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Meeting Held: Industrialization is a Double-edged Sword", reported on Zhejiang Online News website on July 22, 2005.
[6]Reporter's article,"Saving Folk Cultural Treasures with Industrialization Operations", Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, May 20, 2007.
[7]The author's speech at the seminar on the protection and development of ethnic minority intangible cultural heritage in Inner Mongolia, April 16, 2008.
Compiled from Hohhot Online News.
After this author was exposed in the media for plagiarizing a large number of others 'work, his research project has been cancelled by the Ministry of Education.
[8]Wang Songhua and Liao Rong,"Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage from the Perspective of Industrialization", Journal of Tongji University, Social Science Edition, No.
1, 2008.
[9]Xin Ru,"Feasibility Study on the Industrialization and Management of Intangible Cultural Heritage","Modernization of Shopping Mall", No.
534, late March 2008).
[10]Thinking about "An Embroidery Shoe's" Intangible Cultural Heritage "Commodity Dream, Longfei News Network/Focus, September 30, 2009.
[11]Li Haiyan's "Provincial Rural Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Industrialization Development Seminar Held in Fuzhou", Fujian Province Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center compiled and published the "Work Brief on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Fujian Province", No.
5, No.
6, 2009).
[12]"Heilongjiang Intangible Cultural Heritage" Towards Industrialization, Xinhuanet June 19, 2009.
[13]My article was originally published in Art Observation, No.
129, 2006, sponsored by China Academy of Art, Beijing.
After revision, my book "Intangible Cultural Heritage: Theory and Methods" was included in Xueyuan Press, May 2009.
[14]Qu Yongfeng and others,"Retaining the Memory of the Nation-A Record of the Inheritance and Protection of Intangible Culture in Ansai County", Trends in the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Yan 'an City,"No.
1, 2007, sponsored by the Cultural Bureau of Yan' an City, Yan 'an City.
[15]Liu Xicheng's "Preface to Cai Fengming's" Folk Customs Protection in Urban Context ", August 2009).
[16]According to Shenzhen News Network on May 20, 2007.
[17]Yang Wei,"Intangible Cultural Heritage Clay Sculpture: Modern Solutions for Ancient Art", Yinchuan Evening News, October 13, 2009.
[18]Thinking about "The Intangible Cultural Heritage Dream of an Embroidery Shoe" in a Silent Night, according to Feilong News Network-Focus, September 30, 2009.
[19]See Jiangsu Province's "National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Supervision Work Materials" Protection), page 20, Jiangsu Province Department of Culture, November 2009.
[20]Transferred from Li Zhongyi's "Wuxi: Little Clay Figurals a Big Cultural Industry", People's Daily Online Southern Jiangsu Channel Wuxi, July 1, 2009.
[21]Xiang Hongying,"Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Industrialization Expedition", Youth Times, September 3, 2009.
[22]Chen Jianqin,"Research on the Industrialization of Intangible Cultural Heritage", Tourism Planning and Development Research Center, Shanghai University.
[23]Yang Wei,"Intangible Cultural Heritage Clay Sculpture: Modern Solutions for Ancient Art", Yinchuan Evening News, October 13, 2009.
[24]Wang Songhua and Liao Rong,"Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage from the Perspective of Industrialization", Journal of Tongji University, No.
1, 2008.