Grassroots Values and Local Cultural Heritage in China

The recent heritage boom in China is transforming local social, economic, and cultural life and reshaping domestic and global notions of China's national identity. Grassroots Values and Local Cultural Heritage in China approaches the local not as a fixed definition of place but as a shifting site of negotiation between state, entrepreneurial, transcultural, and local community interests. The volume takes readers along an unusual trajectory between a disadvantaged neighborhood in central Beijing, metropolitan centers in Anhui and Sichuan, Quanzhou in the southeast, and Yunnan in the southwest, before ending at the great Samye Monastery in Tibet.

Format: Hardback
Length: 290 pages
Publication date: 06 October 2021
Publisher: Lexington Books

The recent heritage boom in China is having a profound impact on local social, economic, and cultural life, as well as reshaping domestic and global perceptions of China's national identity. This transformative trend is driven by a surge of interest in cultural heritage preservation among young anthropologists in China, who have conducted extensive long-term ethnographic fieldwork. Grassroots Values and Local Cultural Heritage in China, a groundbreaking volume, departs from the dominant top-down UNESCO-influenced narrative of cultural heritage preservation and instead approaches the local as a dynamic and fluid site of negotiation between state, entrepreneurial, transcultural, and local community interests.

The volume takes readers on an intriguing journey through various regions of China, including disadvantaged neighborhoods in central Beijing, metropolitan centers in Anhui and Sichuan, Quanzhou in the southeast, and Yunnan in the southwest. Along the way, the contributors converge in their understanding of the grassroots as a vital arena of everyday life and belonging, underpinning a wide range of social interactions and cultural practices, such as funeral rituals, Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimages, and encounters between young contemporary artists and the Bloomsbury Group.

In examining the diversity of local cultural practices and knowledge that shape ideas about cultural value, this volume makes a compelling argument that grassroots cultural beliefs are essential to the liveability and sustainability of life and living heritage. The book highlights the importance of recognizing and valuing the unique contributions of local communities, cultures, and traditions, and emphasizes the need to engage with these communities in a respectful and collaborative manner.

Grassroots Values and Local Cultural Heritage in China offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of cultural heritage preservation in China and provides a roadmap for future research and practice in this field. By challenging the dominant narratives and promoting a more inclusive and participatory approach, the volume contributes to a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of China's cultural heritage and its role in shaping the country's future.

Weight: 658g
Dimension: 227 x 162 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793632739