【Readers say】
Author: Yang Ning (Associate Professor, School of Liberal Arts, Minzu University of China)
As the common wealth of the Chinese nation and even all mankind, intangible cultural heritage carries profound historical heritage and rich cultural connotations. Those folk songs that have been sung in the mountains for thousands of years and the handicrafts that travel through the deep alleys are not just static “old photos” of history, but also “cultural scenes” that come alive on paper. They are like invisible links, connecting the long history at one end and the prosperous modernity at the other end, nourishing the national spirit and carrying cultural confidence.
“They Attested to Civilization” Compiled by the Chinese Memory Project Center of the National Library Tianjin People’s Publishing House Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House
However, due to the pressure of life, changes in concepts, generational gaps, and the impact of business, the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage is facing varying degrees of difficulties, highlighting the importance of protecting intangible cultural heritage. After all, intangible cultural heritage is not only about the inheritance of culture, but also about the future of the nation.
To create a new culture in the new era and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, intangible cultural heritage workers must deeply understand the characteristics of Chinese civilization, combine Marxist principles with excellent traditional culture, and firmly grasp the continuity, innovation, and Unity, inclusiveness and peace. This series of books compiled by the Chinese Memory Project Center of the National Library is like an old friend who can tell stories. With rich cases and stories, it not only allows readers to see the meaning and value of intangible cultural heritage, but also allows readers to see the significance and value of intangible cultural heritage. The public has a deeper understanding of the importance of inheritance and protection of intangible cultural heritage, which is of great significance to understanding and cherishing intangible cultural heritage.
After reading the three thick volumes of “They Attested to Civilization”, I felt deeply and thought it could be understood from the following three aspects.
First, the ingenious transformation of living culture into documentary materials. Unlike material culture that remains in a static form, intangible cultural heritage is a “living” culture that is closely connected with life. It is often closely connected with specific communities and their unique lifestyles. The passage of time not only gives long-term vitality to intangible cultural heritage, but also brings the risk of disappearance. With the development of the times and changes in the social environment, many intangible cultural heritages will face the situation of broken inheritance, distortion of form and loss of connotation. This also reminds intangible cultural heritage workers that they must break through the traditional inheritance model and use various methods to record, organize, and archive intangible cultural heritage.
Just imagine, without the diligent collection of folk songs by poet collectors in the pre-Qin period and the careful compilation of the “Book of Songs” by Confucius, we today would not be able to deeply appreciate the “Fifteen Kingdoms Style” that spanned thousands of years. Similarly, if Yang Yinliu had not persistently used a tape recorder to capture Abing’s performance of “Er Quan Ying Yue”, this famous erhu piece might still be just a pale and empty combination of notes in a textbook, unable to truly touch our hearts. It is by transforming living intangible cultural heritage into documentation for research and study that future generations will have the opportunity to appreciate these precious cultural and artistic treasures. And “They Proof of Civilization” is a fruitful practice in this regard.
The shadow puppet show “Havoc in Heaven” performed by Liu Yongzhou, the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage. The picture is selected from “They Attested to Civilization”
In the book, the section “The Old Man and the Sea” records the ancient folk literature of fishermen and wild geese that spread in Erjie Gou at the mouth of the Liaohe River. These ancient fishing geese stories were originally circulated through oral literature, and their content is trivial and there are multiple versions. While introducing Liu Zeting, the descendant of ancient fishing geese and the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, the author brilliantly presents the stories of these ancient fishing geese in text form, including “Three Treasures of Erjie Gou”, “Why Barracuda Eats Mud”, “What Fishermen Love” Bird” etc. By reading these words, readers can deeply appreciate the unique artistic charm of ancient Yuyan literature – short and concise length, concise and clear plot, vivid and expressive language. This documented and digital preservation method not only ensures the accuracy and completeness of intangible cultural heritage information, but also enables these cultural heritages to be disseminated more widely and rapidly in the Internet era. This is like taking a series of exquisite “make-up photos” for intangible cultural heritage, which can still shine in the Internet age.
Second, use storytelling to deepen the connotation of intangible cultural heritage. The artistic symbols of intangible cultural heritage carry rich history and profound national spirit. In order to better inherit these cultural heritages, intangible cultural heritage workers must learn to tell stories, that is, to use easy-to-understand language to transform those complex cultural connotations into vivid and interesting plots, so that the public can relax and enjoy the atmosphere. Feel the charm of intangible cultural heritage. Only in this way can intangible cultural heritage truly enter people’s hearts and become a “living” force. In this regard, “They Wear Evidence of Civilization” is a model of storytelling.
The book adopts a very attractive “intangible cultural heritage open class” format, allowing many intangible cultural heritage inheritors to take to the podium to interpret the deep meaning behind the intangible cultural heritage culture with their personal experiences and touching stories. These stories not only involve the origin, development and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, but also go deep into the daily life and inner world of the inheritors. For example, when explaining the Dong song, Fan Zumeng, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, described in detail his experience of traveling to Congjiang County, Guizhou Province. In the process, he not only described the Dong people’s custom of eating new things during the festival, but also described the characteristic architecture of the top drum tower and the unique bullfighting activity. It can be seen that Fan Zumeng’s explanation of Dong songs is not limited to the musical level, nor does it only focus on the process of recording Dong songs. Instead, he skillfully integrates music culture with local folk customs, making the entire narrative more interesting. Vivid, comprehensive and three-dimensional. Through such stories, readers can deeply understand and grasp the unique charm of intangible cultural heritage from real and tangible situations, and deeply feel the inheritors’ deep emotions and firm commitment to this cultural heritage. This inheritance method with storytelling as its core greatly enhances the appeal and appeal of intangible cultural heritage, and helps more readers actively understand and participate in the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage.
Feng Qingju, the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, made colorful paintings. Pictures are selected from “They Attested to Civilization”
Third, emphasize the people-centered inheritance concept. Intangible cultural heritage originates from the people’s life practices and is an important manifestation of national subjectivity and cultural self-confidence. Therefore, we must always pay attention to the needs and feelings of the public during the inheritance process to ensure that intangible cultural heritage is closely connected with people’s lives. In “They Prove Civilization”, there is a chapter about the legendary experience of Ji Keliang, the inheritor of Moutai brewing technology. The description of Ji Lao in the article does not stop at his identity as a Moutai brewing master, but goes deep into his life experience and daily life. It is a true reproduction of the daily life of the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage. “They Prove Civilization” embodies the distinct “people-oriented” thinking. After all, the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage skills is not only the transmission of technology, but also the continuation of culture and spirit.
This series of books has a large scale and extensive content, and deeply explores the rich resources of folk culture. From oral traditions, performing arts, handicrafts to festivals, all aspects of folk culture are presented in an all-round way. The editors use their profound professionalism and rigorous academic attitude to interpret folk culture in a simple and easy-to-understand way. While reflecting the academic nature, it is also highly literary and appealing. It is worth mentioning that this book pays special attention to the presentation method with both pictures and texts. A large number of vivid photos and illustrations allow readers to appreciate the unique charm of folk culture more intuitively. This kind of arrangement not only improves the viewing quality of the book, but also preserves the image data about intangible cultural heritage. It not only provides readers with valuable cultural heritage, but also opens a window to understand folk culture and the national spirit.
The publication of “They Prove Civilization” is a systematic review and wonderful presentation of China’s rich intangible cultural heritage. It not only demonstrates the long-standing continuity and tenacious vitality of Chinese national culture, but also serves as a mirror to remind us that we must still adhere to the deep foundation and inner soul of traditional culture in the process of modernization. Only in this way can we effectively promote cultural innovation and development on the basis of protecting and inheriting intangible cultural heritage, and then achieve national prosperity and rejuvenation.
“Guangming Daily” (April 25, 2024, page 11)
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责编：孙宗鹤 ]
Tags: Protecting national memory inheriting cultural roots Comment Attested Civilization #_Guangming.com
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