Religion-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Practices and Initiatives of the Contemporary Chinese State
This paper reveals the contemporary Chinese state’s active role in shaping the country’s religion-related intangible cultural heritage (ICH) safeguarding, through a systematic review of China’s official inventories of national representative ICH projects and extensive investigations of relevant loca...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-07-01
|
| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/8/687 |
| _version_ | 1797408188613525504 |
|---|---|
| author | Yawen Xu Yu Tao |
| author_facet | Yawen Xu Yu Tao |
| author_sort | Yawen Xu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper reveals the contemporary Chinese state’s active role in shaping the country’s religion-related intangible cultural heritage (ICH) safeguarding, through a systematic review of China’s official inventories of national representative ICH projects and extensive investigations of relevant local practices and initiatives. Although China is ruled by a political party officially embracing an atheist ideology, various elements of the contemporary Chinese state have been proactively involved in safeguarding religion-related ICH. The Chinese state’s involvement in <i>de facto</i> religion-related ICH safeguarding predates its adoption of explicit ICH safeguarding narratives. Still, the Chinese state’s practices and initiatives in safeguarding religion-related ICH flourished after ratifying the UNESCO <i>Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage</i> in 2004. Since then, China’s central government has established a nationwide framework to recognise representative ICH items, including religion-related ones. Beyond Beijing, various local state agencies have also developed noticeable enthusiasm for supporting the safeguarding of religion-related ICH. In addition to engaging directly with ICH safeguarding, the contemporary Chinese state has also shaped China’s religion-related ICH by working closely with some academics and religious groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:54:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9f4705a9987b4624ac696bca31fd7507 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:54:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-9f4705a9987b4624ac696bca31fd75072023-12-03T14:22:45ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-07-0113868710.3390/rel13080687Religion-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Practices and Initiatives of the Contemporary Chinese StateYawen Xu0Yu Tao1School of Tourism, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, ChinaSchool of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, AustraliaThis paper reveals the contemporary Chinese state’s active role in shaping the country’s religion-related intangible cultural heritage (ICH) safeguarding, through a systematic review of China’s official inventories of national representative ICH projects and extensive investigations of relevant local practices and initiatives. Although China is ruled by a political party officially embracing an atheist ideology, various elements of the contemporary Chinese state have been proactively involved in safeguarding religion-related ICH. The Chinese state’s involvement in <i>de facto</i> religion-related ICH safeguarding predates its adoption of explicit ICH safeguarding narratives. Still, the Chinese state’s practices and initiatives in safeguarding religion-related ICH flourished after ratifying the UNESCO <i>Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage</i> in 2004. Since then, China’s central government has established a nationwide framework to recognise representative ICH items, including religion-related ones. Beyond Beijing, various local state agencies have also developed noticeable enthusiasm for supporting the safeguarding of religion-related ICH. In addition to engaging directly with ICH safeguarding, the contemporary Chinese state has also shaped China’s religion-related ICH by working closely with some academics and religious groups.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/8/687Chinaheritage policyICH safeguardingintangible cultural heritagereligion-related heritagestate–religion relations |
| spellingShingle | Yawen Xu Yu Tao Religion-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Practices and Initiatives of the Contemporary Chinese State Religions China heritage policy ICH safeguarding intangible cultural heritage religion-related heritage state–religion relations |
| title | Religion-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Practices and Initiatives of the Contemporary Chinese State |
| title_full | Religion-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Practices and Initiatives of the Contemporary Chinese State |
| title_fullStr | Religion-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Practices and Initiatives of the Contemporary Chinese State |
| title_full_unstemmed | Religion-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Practices and Initiatives of the Contemporary Chinese State |
| title_short | Religion-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Practices and Initiatives of the Contemporary Chinese State |
| title_sort | religion related intangible cultural heritage safeguarding practices and initiatives of the contemporary chinese state |
| topic | China heritage policy ICH safeguarding intangible cultural heritage religion-related heritage state–religion relations |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/8/687 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yawenxu religionrelatedintangibleculturalheritagesafeguardingpracticesandinitiativesofthecontemporarychinesestate AT yutao religionrelatedintangibleculturalheritagesafeguardingpracticesandinitiativesofthecontemporarychinesestate |