[Meng Guicheng Niu Lijing] An "instrumental" analysis of the concept of intangible cultural heritage
Intangible cultural heritage refers to various traditional cultural expressions passed down from generation to generation by people of all ethnic groups and regarded as part of their cultural heritage, as well as objects and places related to traditional cultural expressions.
"Intangible cultural heritage" is a comprehensive expression of various traditional cultural expressions.
One of its important functions is to recognize cultural types from the perspective of national culture.
As a specific concept, it has the practicality of its tools and its scope of application and certain limitations.
The role of the concept of "intangible cultural heritage"
As a concept,"intangible cultural heritage" is a product of social development and a tool used to understand society and culture.
Its functions are multi-faceted.
From the perspective of cultural heritage, the introduction of "intangible cultural heritage" has led us to pay attention to the root causes of cultural heritage, and is the result of the broadening and development of cultural heritage protection horizons.
If the specific material cultural heritage relics, ancient buildings, etc.
that cultural heritage protection began to notice are like apples, then the introduction of "intangible cultural heritage" is like expanding the focus to the apple tree that produces these apples.
From the perspective of cultural research, the content involved in "intangible cultural heritage" is the key point and basic element why a certain cultural type exists in such a form."intangible cultural heritage" allows us to see the logical rationality of different cultural types.
Sex helps to more scientifically explain the rationality of the existence of diverse and diverse human society.
From the perspective of social practice, its role plays different roles in the two situations of self-cultural cognition and differential cultural exchanges.
As far as our understanding of our own culture is concerned,"intangible cultural heritage" involves all aspects of social production and life.
It is like a background.
If you are in it, it is difficult to find it without comparison.
It can be said that "you don't know the true colors of Mount Lushan, but only because you are in this mountain." With the help of the general concept of "intangible cultural heritage", we can see cultural facts that we have not seen or didn't know before, and we have a more objective and complete understanding of social culture.
This allows our understanding of our own social culture to gradually penetrate into the internal essence through the complicated superficial phenomena; for each specific "intangible cultural heritage" inheritor and each specific "intangible cultural heritage" project, it also makes it clearer for ourselves.
The social and cultural role further enhances cultural awareness and cultural self-awareness.
In the exchange of different cultures,"intangible cultural heritage" enables a certain comparability between one's own culture and other cultures, enables a more objective and comprehensive understanding of the logic and rationality of each other's cultures, and enables the more rational treatment of each other's cultures.
Commonalities and differences, avoid belittling oneself or blind self-confidence, help maintain the characteristics of one's own culture, help form more objective and comprehensive cultural cognition and cultural consciousness, and help enhance national cohesion.
Strengthen the research and display of "intangible cultural heritage" in one's own culture and establish cultural confidence and self-esteem.
Scope of application of "intangible cultural heritage"
"Intangible cultural heritage" is a new term with a strong cultural and academic flavor.
It has attracted widespread social attention in recent years.
The social impact it has produced has far exceeded the cultural and academic circles.
Even the old lady who sells tea and eggs claims that what she sells is "intangible cultural heritage".
As a specific cognitive tool,"intangible cultural heritage" does have its limitations and scope of application."intangible cultural heritage" should not be omnipotent, nor should it be all-inclusive.
When it is appropriate to treat a certain cultural matter as an "intangible cultural heritage" or to judge whether it is appropriate from the perspective of "intangible cultural heritage", the following aspects can be used for reference.
Judging from the value orientation
"Intangible cultural heritage" has a value orientation.
Not all preserved traditional culture is "intangible cultural heritage"."Intangible cultural heritage" should follow the basic universal value orientation of truth, goodness and beauty of mankind.
Truth, goodness and beauty are requirements on three different dimensions.
The so-called "truth" dimension regulates the relationship between man and nature, man and the environment, and man and the external objective world.
Seeking truth requires that "intangible cultural heritage" should truly reflect the objective laws of nature and not be fabricated against will., false, wrong.
The so-called dimension of "good" means that from the perspective of human society, it regulates the relationship between people, including both the relationship between people at present and the relationship between people today and future generations.
"Intangible cultural heritage" should be based on respect for human rights and equality for all, and contribute to each other's better and longer-term sustainable development.
It should not be aimed at harming or eliminating one party, nor should it damage the ecological environment.
Pollution affects the development of future generations.
The so-called dimension of "beauty" regulates the relationship between people and themselves."Intangible cultural heritage" should promote the improvement and development of people themselves and help people obtain a greater degree of freedom and liberation, rather than becoming distorted, sick, or harming and destroying.
By measuring traditional culture from the above three dimensions, those who meet the standards of truth, goodness and beauty are regarded as "intangible cultural heritage".
Judging by the carrier
The carrier of "intangible cultural heritage" is the person itself."intangible cultural heritage" exists in each specific inheritor.
The existence of a human carrier is the core characteristic of "intangible cultural heritage".
If "intangible cultural heritage" is compared to fire, each inheritor is like a specific torch with a burning time limit.
After thousands of years, the fire has not been extinguished, but the torch must have been changed several times.
Many matters have been recorded in words, patterns, etc., and with the development of technology, especially the development of digital technology, they can be recorded and preserved in various dynamic or static forms such as photos, recordings, videos, and holographic imaging.
However, it must be clear that what is stored in various media such as text, paper, electronic data, etc.
are only the results or reflections or mirror images of the "intangible cultural heritage", not the "intangible cultural heritage" itself.
Only those with living people as carriers, What inherits is the "intangible cultural heritage".
From a perspective, various traditional knowledge recorded in writing should not be regarded as "intangible cultural heritage" in itself, but the practice or rituals of traditional knowledge may be "intangible cultural heritage".
Judging by independence
"Intangible cultural heritage" exists in the form of specific "intangible cultural heritage" projects.
Each specific "intangible cultural heritage" project cannot be infinitely extended in time and space, and cannot cover all of a certain cultural type.
If the content is too complex, it will greatly reduce its operability in cognition.
If it is determined that "the lifestyle of Han people" is an "intangible cultural heritage" project, it will be very inappropriate.
However, traditional craft projects are composed of multiple links, which are independent of each other and connected back and forth.
It is not recommended to draw out a separate part and establish them as an "intangible cultural heritage" project.
For example, dividing the traditional firing techniques of Cizhou Kiln into traditional Cizhou Kiln Drawing skills, Cizhou Kiln traditional portraying skills and other projects are inappropriate.
There can be overlaps between actual "intangible cultural heritage" projects.
For example, Tangshan shadow puppet is a traditional drama project, and the sculpture of shadow puppets used in the performance is a traditional art project, and these two projects can be independent.
Although folk customs projects include complex content such as the organization and implementation of ceremonies, the production of offerings, and performances of folk flower festivals, they are often fixed and time-limited in terms of activity time, and are also independent.
[Editor in charge of this article: Liu Xiao]
What cannot be called "intangible cultural heritage"
Traditional culture has been washed by the times, and only a part of it can be left.
Although rare things are more valuable, not all of what remains is "intangible cultural heritage", and the length of existence does not determine whether it is an "intangible cultural heritage" standard.
"Intangible cultural heritage" arises in a certain natural social environment, and should gradually become scientific, practical, and beautified over time."Intangible cultural heritage" is a workable path pointed out by the ancients to us., and it is still a shortcut.
In other words,"intangible cultural heritage" should have its relative advantages and advanced nature, and protecting "intangible cultural heritage" should not be backward protection.
The cultivation and domestication of animals and plants should not be regarded as "intangible cultural heritage" purely from a technical perspective.
The core of "intangible cultural heritage" lies in people, and the carrier of inheritance is people.
The cultivation and domestication of animals and plants is the result of the animals and plants themselves adapting to the external environment and a reflection of the diversity of life.
The growth and development of a certain animal and plant into a specific physical form is the result of life evolution and natural elimination.
Human beings are an important external factor.
If this technique is regarded as an "intangible cultural heritage", it is suspected of greedy work.
The colorful fish in the ocean, which inheritor's masterpiece is it? From dozens of meters of trees to low shrubs in the tropical rainforest, who is working hard? More accurately speaking, the skills of animal and plant planting, breeding, and domestication are a piece of knowledge.
If it is recorded completely and objectively, this knowledge can exist completely independently of people.
Even if the executors are replaced, it will not affect its cultivation, domestication.
The results; relatively speaking, even if you know the various techniques of painting, the paintings you draw will vary greatly from person to person.
From the perspective of "intangible cultural heritage" as a cognitive tool, concretize and clarify the content of "intangible cultural heritage", make "intangible cultural heritage" gradually more scientific and quantitative, and do not play word games, concept games, academic games, and not push "intangible cultural heritage" to the unknown or unknowable, and not put all dishes into the basket of "intangible cultural heritage" will help the role of "intangible cultural heritage" as a cognitive tool to better play, and will also help to more objectively Recognize various cultures and recognize yourself.
When cultural exchanges are rare and cultures tend to be closed, each person has its own beauty, and culture has its own system and circulates internally; after exchanges between cultures begin, they see each other's differences, know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and think of others., learn from the strengths of others, and begin to be beautiful; After full cultural exchanges, and with the help of cultural cognitive tools such as intangible cultural heritage, we gradually have a rational and comprehensive understanding of our own culture and different cultures, and gradually form a new division of social and cultural roles, with a certain balance between cultural types, and a stable and diverse cultural structure will gradually move towards harmony and harmony in the world.
(This article was originally published in the 2016 issue of Culture Monthly)
[Editor in charge of this article: Liu Xiao]