On November 29, 2022, "Chinese traditional tea making techniques and related customs" were included in the UNESCO representative list of human intangible cultural heritage. The application for the World Heritage successfully triggered the topic of cultural heritage. The construction of intangible cultural heritage theory and discipline system has entered a new stage. Recently, Wang Fuzhou, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Arts and director of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, received an exclusive interview with People's Weekly.
The successful application of Chinese tea art for the World Heritage has triggered the topic of cultural heritage
Discipline construction opens new flowers for intangible cultural heritage
People's Weekly
"Tea originated from the Shennong family." According to the "Tea Classic" written by Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty, Chinese tea originated from the Shennong era five or six thousand years ago as a drink. From that time on, it ignited the thousand-year history of Chinese tea culture.
On November 29, 2022, "Chinese traditional tea making techniques and related customs" were listed in the UNESCO representative list of intangible cultural heritage of mankind (hereinafter referred to as "intangible cultural heritage"). So far, 43 projects in China have been listed in the list of intangible cultural heritage, with the total number of intangible cultural heritage projects ranking first in the world.
How to "protect heritage" more solidly? In exploring the path from "action protection" to "discipline construction" of intangible cultural heritage, Wang Fuzhou, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Arts and director of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, has gone for 10 years.
"Tea culture originated in China and prevailed in the world, and this selection is worthy of it." Wang Fuzhou said that the success of the application for the World Heritage is the recognition of Chinese tea culture by the international community. After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, standing at a new historical starting point, the construction of the discipline construction system of intangible cultural heritage has entered a new stage, and the construction of the system of intangible cultural heritage has been launched in all directions.
Years of exploration from "World Heritage Application Protection" to "Discipline Construction": through logical argumentation, fact sorting and policy support
In September 2022, in the evening of Bacheng Town, Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, the elegant sound of Guqin circulated between the cornices and the lattice windows, and Kunqu Opera actors began to sing euphemistically and harmoniously. The two intangible cultural heritage projects of Guqin and Kunqu Opera jointly annotate the ancient Chinese culture.
Kunqu Opera has a history of more than 600 years. In May 2001, it was listed as the first batch of "representative works of human oral and intangible cultural heritage" by UNESCO. Today, the inheritance of Kunqu Opera has been endless among young campus students.
Wang Vol of the Institute of Culture and Industry of Peking University told this reporter that Mr. Bai Xianyong, a professor of Bowen Lecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, began to promote the youth version of Kunqu Opera "The Peony Pavilion" 18 years ago. He took the actors to the university campus to perform and give lectures... The debut of the youth version of "The Peony Pavilion" 18 years ago was once called "reducing the age of Kunqu Opera audiences by 30 years".
The protection of intangible cultural heritage has been faced with three main problems: first, who is the inheritor? This is the problem identified by the inheritor. 2、 How to inherit? This is the issue of inheritance mode. 3、 Inherit what? This is the issue of inheritance content. In the final analysis, it points to the core of intangible cultural heritage protection: the construction of discipline system.
Since 2005, the government and all sectors of society have tried various ways to protect the intangible cultural heritage in the past 20 years. 43 selected intangible cultural heritage projects show that the practice performance is very remarkable. "From the confirmation of the application of intangible cultural heritage projects to the filing, research, preservation, protection, inheritance and revitalization of a series of work, the content of practice is very comprehensive." Wang Fuzhou believes that the theoretical construction of intangible cultural heritage in academic circles has lagged behind the practical exploration for a long time, leaving the discipline construction of intangible cultural heritage outside of higher education.
More and more people realize that intangible cultural heritage is not only an objectified existence, but also has its own function of cultural resources endowment. This function not only needs protection, but also needs to build autonomy.
"We need to build the discipline system of intangible cultural heritage based on academic thinking." Wang Fuzhou believes that this construction covers three aspects: first, we should rely on "things" to explore the context, reshape the knowledge tradition of Chinese history, sort out and analyze such as earth and stone, pottery and jade, and reflect the original appearance of traditional culture; Secondly, we should use "people" to find the heart of literature, refer to it and supplement the existing system; Finally, complement and improve the cultural system.
In August 2021, the Opinions on Further Strengthening the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council proposed to integrate intangible cultural heritage into the national education system.
Under the promotion of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, the attempt of intangible cultural heritage discipline to enter the higher education system has been gradually carried out. In 2006, some universities and technical secondary schools established postgraduate majors in the direction of intangible cultural heritage under the disciplines of folklore, fine arts, and art. In 2021, the Ministry of Education included "intangible cultural heritage protection" in the undergraduate professional directory of ordinary colleges and universities. At present, some universities and technical secondary schools have established intangible cultural heritage research institutions.
Wang Fuzhou said that the construction of "new liberal arts" and "interdisciplinary" in national higher education and the construction of the three major systems of Chinese philosophy and social sciences are increasingly urgent. The construction of interdisciplinary disciplines with intangible cultural heritage as the core is an important aspect to meet this demand.
The discipline construction of intangible cultural heritage has entered a new stage: developing interdisciplinary construction around "cultural heritage science"
The first attempt has become the starting point to promote the construction of the discipline of intangible cultural heritage. The teaching team led by Wang Fuzhou launched teaching exploration with the People's University of China and other cooperative institutions in early 2022, popularized the concept of "morphology", strived for three years to achieve full coverage of the categories related to intangible cultural heritage, and handed over qualified answers to the national degree authorities. In the conversation with reporters, Wang Fuzhou was full of confidence.
"Although the study of intangible cultural heritage has been influenced by anthropology, folklore and other related disciplines at the beginning, it has not covered up its own essential attributes." Wang Fuzhou believes that intangible cultural heritage is not only a relatively independent discipline, but also a highly professional and comprehensive interdisciplinary discipline. From the perspective of discipline nature, as an important component of cultural heritage, the concept and definition of intangible heritage involves all aspects of cultural phenomena.
From the perspective of "Great Heritage View", he summarized the attributes of intangible cultural heritage discipline into three aspects: clear internal form: intangible cultural heritage, as a corresponding part of material cultural heritage, should study its historical origin, essential attributes, etc; Outstanding cross-cutting features: Intangible cultural heritage not only contains disciplinary integration and cross-cutting features, but also integrates with other disciplines; Necessary basic theories: including system of discipline history, discipline research methods, etc.
In terms of discipline orientation, the Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage issued by the United Nations in 2003 gives a broader framework for cultural heritage. Wang Fuzhou believes that "cultural heritage studies" should be directly upgraded to an independent category to sort out a complete heritage system.
Where is the most difficult part in the construction of intangible cultural heritage discipline? Wang Fuzhou said that the study of intangible cultural heritage should have its own unique way of education and should be built around the "study of cultural heritage".
"Now we have built a complete system based on 'morphology', including the protection of liveness, ideology and space production." Wang Fuzhou believes that the advantage of this system is to explore the interwoven integration of intangible forms, material forms and natural forms of cultural heritage through the most essential ontological characteristics of "cultural heritage", based on the ontology to connect the material system and the non-material system. The application of morphological research methods in the field of intangible cultural heritage will certainly reshape the academic ecology of the heritage community, and eventually form a situation of constructing a discipline group around "cultural heritage science".
Talent training in intangible cultural heritage discipline is the key: coordinate the degree discipline system to promote the textbook compilation project
The essence of intangible cultural heritage heritage lies in people, and the key to the construction of intangible cultural heritage discipline also lies in people. How to make the construction of intangible cultural heritage discipline "live" and take root and sprout in the hearts of young people?
Print the Peking Opera facial makeup pattern on the wrist watch, interpret the cultural relics of the Forbidden City into the current cultural and creative image, attract thousands of young people to watch the shadow play on the live platform, and hold a cup of warm winter tea around the outdoor stove... With the popularity of the short video platform and outdoor activities, non-legacy culture is glowing with youthful vitality.
What characteristics does the uniqueness of intangible cultural heritage mean in its teaching methods? At present, how are the relevant textbooks for the subject of intangible cultural heritage planned?
"The China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center has made effective exploration in coordinating the academic degree discipline system, building the talent cultivation ecology, building the strategic cooperation framework and promoting the textbook compilation project." Wang Fuzhou summarized the reporter from three aspects.
First, set up the talent training alliance and basic framework of intangible cultural heritage discipline. Innovate the basic concept of interdisciplinary construction of intangible cultural heritage, and build a comprehensive, characteristic and dynamic talent cultivation ecology of intangible cultural heritage. At present, the professional direction framework of "two clusters, six categories and sixteen branches" has been formed, the textbook compilation project has been started, and the teaching plan for differentiated development has been formulated. On the basis of the existing "Introduction to Intangible Cultural Heritage", "Morphology of Cultural Heritage" and "Morphology of Intangible Cultural Heritage", the concept of morphology will be implemented into teaching practice. It is planned to publish 16 series of textbooks in succession by 2025. Among them, "Morphology of Cultural Heritage" and "Morphology of Intangible Cultural Heritage" have been included in the series of national college heritage postgraduate education textbooks.
Second, create a practical platform for the construction and cultivation of intangible cultural heritage disciplines. Give full play to the academic advantages of the Chinese Academy of Arts, establish the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage in its graduate school, combine the historical accumulation of the college and the exploration of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, focus on the development of the "basic theory of intangible cultural heritage" and "cultural space" discipline system, deepen the five directions of "traditional art", promote the leapfrog and intersection of intangible cultural heritage on the basis of traditional disciplines, and further promote the concept Provide guidance and demonstration for development and cooperation.
Third, we should choose early pilot projects to promote the comprehensive development of the discipline of intangible cultural heritage. By signing the Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement on the Cultivation of High-level Talents of Intangible Cultural Heritage with relevant universities, in 2022, China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center signed agreements with the Central University for Nationalities and the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and reached cooperation intentions with Beijing Normal University, Beijing Physical Education University and Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts.
"Make a cup of warm tea in the bell of the New Year and enjoy the confidence and self-improvement brought by the millennium tea art." Wang Fuzhou believes that the success of China's tea art application for the World Heritage indicates that the Chinese experience in the protection of intangible cultural heritage has once again won the approval of the States parties, and also reminds everyone to re-examine intangible cultural heritage and think about creating a new situation in the discipline construction of intangible cultural heritage.