Research Orientation of Tusi Study within the Context of World Heritage Application

Research Orientation of Tusi Study within the Context of World Heritage Application

作者：暂无

来源：《民族学刊》 2014年第1期

CHENG Zhenming

(JishouUniversity,Jishou,Hunan, 416000,China)

JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGY, VOL. 5, NO.1, 00-00, 2013 (CN51-1731/C, in Chinese)

DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2014.01.00

Abstract:On November 1st,2011, a meeting related to the World Heritage

application of the Yongshun Old Tusi Town’s World Heritage Application was held in Hunan province. This indicated that the Hunan provincial leadership team of the Old Tusi Town World Heritage ApplicationOffice opened the door for the first time

regard a World Heritage application related to(the institution of) tusi(a native official in imperial China) heritage. Because it is just a beginning, thereis need for more discussion on this tusi heritage site’s World Heritage application. I am lucky to have the chance to participate in the research concerning the tusiWorld Heritage application work, and understand the requirementsfor compiling the

applicationdossier. Therefore, this article tries to give some reflections onthe present situation of World Heritage application work in China,the requirementsfor research on thetusihistorical site within the context ofthe World Heritage

application, and the deficiencies in the study of tusiheritage. Furthermore, it discusses the research orientation of tusi study within the context of “World Heritage application” so that the tusiresearch can connect with the related studies in the rest of the world.

Applying for World Heritage is a relatively newphenomenon, appearing as

recently as 36years ago. , It was proposed after the establishment of the World Heritage Committee. The (application) activity began in the countries in North and South America, Africa and Europe, and then, gradually expanded to the countries in Asia, etc. Although China’s World Heritage applications started late, the speed of inscription on the World Heritage list was dramatically fast.China nowhas already become the country with the second largest number of World Heritage sites. During the inscription process for the list of World Heritage sites, Chinahas accumulated very rich experience, and has established a good foundation for making the tusi heritage’s inscription on the world list strategically.

When the local government unified their will to make an application for the tusi heritage site for World Heritage, the next task was to make an application for the heritage site to be included on the Tentative List of the State Cultural Relics Bureau. During this process, the government, who has the administrative and

financial resources(hereafter,the government side), the Heritage Application

Dossier Compilation team, who has the heritage application resources(hereafter the compilation side), and the research team, who has the research resources related to the study of tusi(hereafter the research side) should not only cooperate closely, but also should form a fundamental knowledge of World Heritage applications and tusi study through the efforts of the three sides. During the application process for the tusi heritage site, the research findings of the research side should be -re-evaluated at the end by heritage application circles as well as circles of tusi study.They should comply with academic standards at the beginning of writing, and conduct their research according to the design of the compilation side. Before the inclusion on the Tentative List, the project design of the compilation sideshould obviously pay more attention to sorting out the historical facts related to the Old Tusi Town and tusi culture. And, before the inclusion on the Tentative List, , the compilation side should firmly believe that the key(to the application) is to identify the “value” of the Old Tusi Town. They state that the basic research is to collect systematicallyand sort out the information, and display its value.The specific research is to explain its value through categorization; and the comparative research is to distinguish the level and study the value

thoroughly.They required the research side to do three projects:: “A Study on the Historical Literature and Data of Tusi System and the Peng Clan Tusi ”; “A Study on The Architectural Layout and Function of the Old Tusi Town”;and “A Comparative Study on Peng Clan Tusi of Xizhou and Other Tusi ”.They,then, requiredthem to provide detailed information on three subjects:, the “Tusi System and the Similar Systems in the Former Dynasties (especially the Jimi system)”; “The Positioning and its Representativeness of the Tusi in the Southwest within the total Tusi

System”; and “The Correct Definition of the Tusi System and the Core Value of the Historical Site”.,Finally, they were required to provide four reviews on the “Peng Clan Tusi”, “Tujia Nationality Culture”, “Southwest Tusi”, “Tusi System”.All of this was all for the purpose of getting direct service for

compiling the heritage application dossier and achieving success in the heritage application.

Although the compilation sidehas different requirementsin different stages, they always connected the historical Site of Old Tusi Town with the tusi, tusi

system, tusi culture. In fact, it is the reality that if the historical site of the Old Tusi Town did not include “tusi, tusi system and tusi culture”, it would only be an ordinary site among China’s ancient historical towns. Therefore, if we want thetusi heritage towns to achieve worldwide recognition, understanding, protection and research, it must not be separated from a complete display and clear

description of the tusi system and deep research on its value. The connection of the tusiheritage site with the tusi ,tusi system and tusi culture, as well as the discovery of its universal value could be regarded as a basic requirement of tusi study for the World Heritage application.

From the beginning of the study of tusi in 1908,it has already gone through 106 years of history. This more than one century of research on thetusihas been divided into four periods, and each period has its own academic orientation.

The first period is from 1908 to 1959, during which academic circlesmainly did research on the traditional tusi system based on the reality of the time. The second period goes from 1960 to 1979, during which academic circles paid much

attention to the reflection of traditional tusi system which serves the reality of the time. The third period is from 1980 to 1998, during which time the academic circles mainly reflected on the management level (of the tusi), and provided commentary on the tusisystemsofvarious ethnic groups, drew lessons from the

experience and pushedtusi culturealong an industrialized path. . The fourth period is from 1999 to 2013, during which time research has been transformed from the study of tusi system to the material culture of the tusi.

The former research on the tusi formed successively a research path of tusi, tusi system, tusi culture, and tusi political culture.However, there have been a lot of academic blind spots in tusiresearch. The main blind spots are : 1) the context of the word of “tusi” as well as its changes are not clear;2) the

imperial dynasties, when they ruled (managed) the (people in the) high plateaus, mountainous regions, valleys and islands, used the terms “jimi”, “tusi”, “gaituguiliu”(replacement of native officials with loyal appointed officials), “ethnic regional autonomy”.However, the transformation and time differences are not clear; 3) The spatial changes of the tusi is not clear; 4) The distribution of tusiamongthe Han-Chinese, ethnic minorities includingthe fishing and hunting

groups;, farming groups and nomadic groups is not clear; 5) The distribution of the tusi or tusi phenomenon abroad is not clear; and 6) The connection between the lost tusi towns and tusi system as well as the outstanding universal value of tusi towns are not clear.

There are two orientations in tusiresearch within the context of a “World Heritage application”: 1) taking an adaptive“linkages” research as the orientation; 2) looking at the concept of tusiin terms of zone or region.

Aiming the research at the control and management of high plateaus, mountains, valleys, and island societies during the tusi period, looking from the perspective of “tusiarea or zone ” research is suggested. As the classics of ethnic culture, tusi culture in the tusiarea has a unique inherited way. Tusi study from the

perspective of the “tusi zone” should further clarify the concept of “region” or “territory”. In the context of “tusi zone”, the theory could become various research orientations, including the tusi social system, the structural function of tusi zone, its operation, cultural area, population, system and culture, power structure, tusi town etc. What it brings to the field of tusi study is a

transformation or basic research to applied research based on the reality of the tusi’s control and management of high plateaus, mountainous areas, valleys,and islands. Only from the perspective of “tusi zone”, can the outstanding universal value of tusi heritage be promoted, and provide new vitality to the theory of tusi study.

Tusi heritage application, whether fromthe government side, or from the

compilation side and research side, has put forward various new challenges. These challenges make the research side aware that there are a lot of blind areas

regarding the research on the connection of the tusi historical site with the tusi,