Ou Chaoquan, Life in a Kam Village in Southwest China, 1930–1949 (original) (raw)
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Traditional Chinese Village Bulletin - 2015 May
Everyone who supported the TCVB inaugurated in January 2015, deserves our sincere gratitude whether you read it or shared it. We shall continue to devote ourselves to sharing the best experiences and practices of the conservation and rehabilitation of Tradition Chinese Villages. Today, the number of Traditional Chinese Villages with national designation has reached 2,555, from every province of China. Although for years scholars have been carrying our valuable research on the morphology of vernacular dwelling in China, there is big opportunity to further the systematic research throughout China, with support of the big data. The first article of this issue is an example of such research. It’s really a pleasure but not a surprise to see that the Traditional Chinese Village has evoked international interest in recent years. With sponsorship from the World Monument Fund and support of the local authority, the Sino─Swiss cooperation on the rehabilitation of Shaxi in Yunnan province, in south─west China, starting as early as 2000, is one of such enlightening projects which encouraged inter─cultural understanding. In order to rehabilitate traditional villages, vernacular architecture need to be renovated as a significant part of contemporary practice in China. Two projects, one by the professional team in Yunnan and one by passionate rural dwellers in Zhejiang, share a common commitment to combine the built environment with nature, to integrate the improved vernacular building technique and new utilization standards. Public participation, and engaging the community as well, should be a key link of the chain of urban/rural planning or sustainable development, especially for a “Living Heritage” such as Traditional Chinese village. Practical lessons learnt from rural Taiwan prove invaluable and inspiring for the revival of Traditional Villages of the mainland. Last but not least, the appreciation of the Dong Villages in southwest China, from the view of traditional social organization, planning and vernacular building technique as well, will show the irreplaceable ethnic culture and village landscape of Chinese Dong minority. Dr. Ing. HUO Xiaowei Director of RCHCC, THUPDI SPURS Fellow of MIT
Traditional Chinese Villages Bulletin - 2015 Jan
Traditional Chinese Villages Bulletin is the first magazine of its kind to present to audiences world-wide the policies and leading practices on the conservation, rehabilitation and revival of traditional Chinese villages from a dynamic perspective. The journal focuses on geographic, climatic, and environmental conditions specific to Chinese villages as well as living traditions, extant building techniques and craftsmanship in China. Studies on the interrelationship of these various elements are casting new light on the long history of Chinese civilization. Ancient philosophy and wisdom has nurtured wonderful art and culture that makes everyone born on the land proud of their home. Villages are also a form of “living heritage” which passes intangible cultural traditions of the local community from generation to generation, even when there are changes to the physical elements of heritage villages. It is hoped the Bulletin will truly become an international magazine with a global readership and will increase understanding and respect among different peoples through its simple message that heritage villages are an indispensable component of world heritage.
Traditional Chinese Villages Bulletin - 2016 Mar.
Over the last few years there has been an ongoing push within heritage circles to give greater prominence to Traditional Villages as a category of cultural heritage. In 2015 five Chinese properties were lauded by UNESCO for their high level of conservation; no less than three of these properties were historic towns and villages. For China to achieve such success in nominating so many sites of this category is truly unprecedented. The successful nomination of these sites is also in large measure due to the strong determination and tireless perseverance of all the preparation team as noted in the third issue of the Bulletin. The Chinese World Heritage Sites in Pingyao and Guizhou are both sites where years of commitment and hard work have resulted in new understandings and methodologies about community involvement in conserving and managing sites. The revitalization of both these sites has demonstrated a successful synergy among multiple disciplinary institutes and local authorities, surely valuable experiences that will be emulated across China. At the national level traditional villages in Songyang county are leading the way in adapting historic buildings to contemporary needs. The renovation of one house into an art studio in Lingtou Village started a movement that soon won national attention. Fortunately, and fatefully, these otherwise unknown properties have been given new life thanks to the dedication of the people involved. The vast span of time that a village can represent is best seen in Ding Village, renowned for its prehistoric origin in addition to its rich cultural content. Thanks to passionate experts and their contribution over the decades, the integrity of this village’s old streets and structures has been wellpreserved with excellent prospects of retaining them for future generations. Another experiment to garner local support and involvement in reinstating another village relates to a group of young professionals who were eager to share their reflections about the role of architects in the reinstatement of the village of Xihe. Among their findings, the establishment of a cooperative for mobilizing the villagers to protect the local environment is critical for sustaining both the livelihood and lifestyle of the residents and the preservation of these historic structures. The significance of community involvement also finds its resonance in Cangdong Village, a UNESCO Heritage Award winner. The participation of the local clans and overseas Chinese connections plays a crucial role in its success that merits international recognition. The village has been extremely successful in not only conserving the physical fabric of the site but has also adopted strategies that encourage visitors as an essential part of the village’s reinstatement and ongoing survival. Last but not least is agricultural heritage. Nihegou Village is an excellent example of how rural heritage sites retain both their historic environment as well as traditional agricultural production practices thereby maintaining an ecosystem that was established hundreds of years ago. Chinese tradition emphases the need to establish harmony between humans and nature as the key to sustainable life. One of the legacies of this site must surely be that it is a timely reminder to the modern world that our future survival depends on the restoration of this balance. I believe the message delivered in the Bulletin, that villages are an indispensable component of world heritage, has been and will continue to be echoed around the globe. Although we could not have anticipated today’s achievement a year ago, our commitment to Traditional Villages, so cherished by the public, deserves to have its own voice and its successes seen. Dr. Ing. HUO Xiaowei Director of RCHCURD, THUPDI
Review of "From Village to City: Social Transformation in a Chinese County Seat" (Andrew B. Kipnis)
The China Journal, 2019
"From Village to City offers a fascinating study of village and small-town transformation on a scale that is both extraordinary and familiar. In rapidly changing eastern China, many once-rural areas have become industrialized and absorbed into urban zones and are now unrecognizable. Rarely, though, do anthropologists spend decades in these zones and witness the transformations as they unfold, and less frequently still do these sites become home to huge conglomerates. In the Shandong region of Zouping, not far from the Yellow River, anthropologist Andrew Kipnis conveys insights from carefully designed research dating back to the late 1980s..."
During the late 1930s and early 1940s Japanese researchers carried out a large and wellfunded study of customary law in rural North China. The results of that research, published in the 1950s, have been one of the major sources for theories about prewar Chinese rural society. In the last twenty years Japanese and Chinese researchers have undertaken followup studies of the same villages. This review article introduces Chinese and Japanese followup studies on the kankō chō sa villages, the new materials and approaches they have used, and their contributions to on-going debates about Chinese rural society and social change.
Modern Traditional Village Life in Hong Kong: The case of Lung Yeuk Tau
Lung Yeuk Tau, an area home to eleven villages in Fanling, Hong Kong, is inhabited by one the oldest clans of the New Territories, the Tang Clan. A small number of Hakka people and some Cantonese newcomers also reside in this area today. Lung Yeuk Tau has many remnants of traditional Chinese architecture and customs due to its rich history. Although various social, economic and political factors have led to significant changes in their way of life, the Tang Clan has managed to preserve their distinct identity as the original residents of the area. Their collective identity is reinforced through communal activities and traditional festivals, which involve rituals that both include and exclude other residents of the area in varying degrees, affecting the intra-village relationship between the Tang people, Hakka people and newcomers, thereby reinforcing the Tang's dominant position in the village. Some of these communal activities also involve members of the Tang Clan of other nearby villages, solidifying their collective identity and strengthening their inter-village alliance. However, this is not to say that the traditions of the Tang Clan have remained static amidst the pressures of modernization. To some extent, traditional "rules" have been loosened. Market forces have influenced their rituals. The Hong Kong Government's decision to designate Lung Yeuk Tau as a "heritage trail" to attract tourism has also affected the preservation and reconstruction of the Tang clan's traditions. Compared to the past, Lung Yeuk Tau is no longer a self-enclosed traditional community and it is a microcosm of the changes affecting rural society across Hong Kong. As the process of the modernization continues to unfold itself onto new landscapes, it is only through a critical examination of the interplay between social, political and economic factors that we can attempt to predict the ongoing impact on rural life.