This article investigates the relationship between archaeological tourism, UNESCO World Heritage ... more This article investigates the relationship between archaeological tourism, UNESCO World Heritage designation, and the social value attached to archaeological sites in China. It aims to provide novel insights into such connections by examining the impact of archaeological tourism on the social values that local communities place on archaeological sites that are in the process of becoming World Heritage Sites. In recent decades, the increasing commercialization of archaeological sites for tourism, combined with the growing influence of the World Heritage listing process, has had a significant impact on the lives of communities in close proximity to archaeological sites. One way to comprehend such an effect is to examine changes in the social values assigned to those sites by their local residents. This is due to the ability of tourism development to (re)create and modify such values attributed to archaeological sites by changing their function, capacity, quality, and meaning. The World Heritage listing process, particularly during the pre-nomination period, plays an important role in shaping the tourist transformation of these sites in preparation for World Heritage inscription. Against this backdrop, this article focuses on two archaeological sites that have recently obtained the World Heritage status: the Daming Palace archaeological site and the Huashan rock art area. By applying ethnographic approaches, the article illustrates the complex influence of tourism development and the World Heritage Convention on contemporary Chinese society, in order to encourage further reflection on the existing management and development mechanisms of archaeological sites in China and around the world.
This article challenges the claimed gulf between ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ concepts and approaches ... more This article challenges the claimed gulf between ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ concepts and approaches to heritage conservation through an analysis of the common complexities surrounding authenticity. The past few decades have witnessed an important critique of ‘Eurocentric’ notions of heritage conservation, drawing on ‘non-Western’, particularly Asian, contexts. Authenticity has been a core principle and defining element in this development. Endorsed by a series of charters and documents, a relativistic approach emphasising the cultural specificity of authenticity has been introduced alongside the European-originated materialist approach in international policy and conservation philosophy. However, the promotion of Asian difference has also contributed to an increasingly entrenched and unproductive dichotomy between ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ approaches to heritage. This article reveals common complexities surrounding authenticity in two countries crosscutting this dualism – China and Scotland. Drawing on a number of ethnographic projects, our analysis identifies themes that characterise the experience of authenticity across different cultural contexts. It contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the evolving relationships between heritage conservation and contemporary societies with important implications for global heritage discourses and collaborative ventures crosscutting ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ contexts.
The rapid expansion of cultural tourism has led to increased numbers of visitors to rock art site... more The rapid expansion of cultural tourism has led to increased numbers of visitors to rock art sites throughout the world. The rise of rock art tourism has affected not only the preservation of rock art sites, but also the social values attributed to the sites by communities in the immediate vicinity. Social values refer to the social and cultural meanings that a place of heritage holds for a particular community. This article aims to discuss the influence of tourism on the social values that uphold local communities’ emotional attachment to rock art heritage, using the Huashan rock art area in China as a case study. Huashan is the first rock art heritage in China proposed to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and officially obtained the World Heritage status in July 2016. This article argues that many of the changes generated by the endeavour towards tourism promotion by the authorities in their pursuit of World Heritage designation have contributed to the reinforcement of the social values under discussion. However, negative feelings among the communities in response to the undesired consequences of the designation campaign might have resulted in the attenuation of such values. The ultimate goal of the research is to prompt further reflection on existing rock art heritage management mechanisms both in China and worldwide.
In recent years, it is progressively believed that heritage itself does not have values, but rath... more In recent years, it is progressively believed that heritage itself does not have values, but rather values are assigned to places of heritage by people. The evolution of how heritage values should be considered has deeply influenced practices and policies of archaeological sites. Social value is now increasingly emphasized in legislation and guidelines for heritage management. In China, as with many countries, the development of tourism and the influence of UNESCO World Heritage nomination have remarkably changed the relationship between archaeological heritage and local communities. Therefore, they have also reshaped the social values ascribed to heritage by communal groups. Using the Daming Palace archaeological site as a case study, this article employs ethnographic approaches to scrutinize the impact of archaeological tourism and World Heritage designation on the social values attributed to the site by its local communities.
Worldwide archaeological tourism, or tourism to sites with archaeological significance, has been ... more Worldwide archaeological tourism, or tourism to sites with archaeological significance, has been rapidly growing and has attracted increased academic attention in recent years. China is an outstanding case in this field. In fact, its government has been actively promoting tourism and archaeological tourism for the last three decades. The understanding of the challenges that Chinese archaeological tourism is currently facing is the focus of this article. Four aspects will guide the discussion: the dilemma between site preservation and economic profitability, unregulated tourism development, the influence of UNESCO World Heritage designation, and authorities’ sensitivity towards ethnic issues in archaeological tourism.
The Huashan rock art site of China is located in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, neighbouring w... more The Huashan rock art site of China is located in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, neighbouring with Vietnam. It is generally believed that the rock art at the Huashan site was created between the Warring States Period (403–221 BCE) and Eastern Han dynasty (26–220CE), by an ethnic group named Luo Yue. This article goes beyond the conventional Chinese perspective, and tries to explore the possible connection between the landscape of the Huashan rock art site and the cosmological beliefs of the Luo Yue people.
http://www.postclassical.it/PCA_Vol.6.html
This dossier is one of the outcomes of the third and ... more http://www.postclassical.it/PCA_Vol.6.html This dossier is one of the outcomes of the third and final workshop on "“Heritage Values and the Public” of the European JPI–JHEP Heritage Values Network (H@V) project (www.heritagevalues.net/). It analyses the World Heritage Committee and site managers' engagement in the process of moving from regulation to participation in the heritage field. M. Díaz-Andreu Introduction; M. Díaz-Andreu Social values and the participation of local communities in World Heritage: a dream too far?; Q. Gao Social values and archaeological heritage: an ethnographic study of the Daming Palace archaeological site (China) PCA 2016 AWARD; G. Alexopoulos, K. Fouseki Gender exclusion and local values versus universal cultural heritage significance: the Avaton debate on the monastic community of Mount Athos; T.S. Guttormsen, J. Taylor, G. Swensen Heritage values conceptualised as heritage routes. Visions and challenges towards public diversity; M. Maluck Spatial planning as a way to stakeholder involvement in cultural heritage management. Examples from Northern Europe; D. Rodwell Community values vs World Heritage values: bridging the gap; G.P. Brogiolo The UNESCO network “The Longobards in Italy. The Places of Power (568-774 A.D.)” and the Brescia case
This paper provides a brief historical survey of the use of “value” in Spanish heritage legislati... more This paper provides a brief historical survey of the use of “value” in Spanish heritage legislation from the eighteenth century onwards. The widening of the typology of values in the Heritage Act passed in 1985 was mirrored by subsequent legislation from the seventeen autonomous communities or regional governments into which Spain is divided administratively. The last part of the paper focuses on the way values have changed over the past twenty years. It discusses the novel emphasis on social and economic values in the particular case of Catalonia.
This article investigates the relationship between archaeological tourism, UNESCO World Heritage ... more This article investigates the relationship between archaeological tourism, UNESCO World Heritage designation, and the social value attached to archaeological sites in China. It aims to provide novel insights into such connections by examining the impact of archaeological tourism on the social values that local communities place on archaeological sites that are in the process of becoming World Heritage Sites. In recent decades, the increasing commercialization of archaeological sites for tourism, combined with the growing influence of the World Heritage listing process, has had a significant impact on the lives of communities in close proximity to archaeological sites. One way to comprehend such an effect is to examine changes in the social values assigned to those sites by their local residents. This is due to the ability of tourism development to (re)create and modify such values attributed to archaeological sites by changing their function, capacity, quality, and meaning. The World Heritage listing process, particularly during the pre-nomination period, plays an important role in shaping the tourist transformation of these sites in preparation for World Heritage inscription. Against this backdrop, this article focuses on two archaeological sites that have recently obtained the World Heritage status: the Daming Palace archaeological site and the Huashan rock art area. By applying ethnographic approaches, the article illustrates the complex influence of tourism development and the World Heritage Convention on contemporary Chinese society, in order to encourage further reflection on the existing management and development mechanisms of archaeological sites in China and around the world.
This article challenges the claimed gulf between ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ concepts and approaches ... more This article challenges the claimed gulf between ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ concepts and approaches to heritage conservation through an analysis of the common complexities surrounding authenticity. The past few decades have witnessed an important critique of ‘Eurocentric’ notions of heritage conservation, drawing on ‘non-Western’, particularly Asian, contexts. Authenticity has been a core principle and defining element in this development. Endorsed by a series of charters and documents, a relativistic approach emphasising the cultural specificity of authenticity has been introduced alongside the European-originated materialist approach in international policy and conservation philosophy. However, the promotion of Asian difference has also contributed to an increasingly entrenched and unproductive dichotomy between ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ approaches to heritage. This article reveals common complexities surrounding authenticity in two countries crosscutting this dualism – China and Scotland. Drawing on a number of ethnographic projects, our analysis identifies themes that characterise the experience of authenticity across different cultural contexts. It contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the evolving relationships between heritage conservation and contemporary societies with important implications for global heritage discourses and collaborative ventures crosscutting ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’ contexts.
The rapid expansion of cultural tourism has led to increased numbers of visitors to rock art site... more The rapid expansion of cultural tourism has led to increased numbers of visitors to rock art sites throughout the world. The rise of rock art tourism has affected not only the preservation of rock art sites, but also the social values attributed to the sites by communities in the immediate vicinity. Social values refer to the social and cultural meanings that a place of heritage holds for a particular community. This article aims to discuss the influence of tourism on the social values that uphold local communities’ emotional attachment to rock art heritage, using the Huashan rock art area in China as a case study. Huashan is the first rock art heritage in China proposed to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and officially obtained the World Heritage status in July 2016. This article argues that many of the changes generated by the endeavour towards tourism promotion by the authorities in their pursuit of World Heritage designation have contributed to the reinforcement of the social values under discussion. However, negative feelings among the communities in response to the undesired consequences of the designation campaign might have resulted in the attenuation of such values. The ultimate goal of the research is to prompt further reflection on existing rock art heritage management mechanisms both in China and worldwide.
In recent years, it is progressively believed that heritage itself does not have values, but rath... more In recent years, it is progressively believed that heritage itself does not have values, but rather values are assigned to places of heritage by people. The evolution of how heritage values should be considered has deeply influenced practices and policies of archaeological sites. Social value is now increasingly emphasized in legislation and guidelines for heritage management. In China, as with many countries, the development of tourism and the influence of UNESCO World Heritage nomination have remarkably changed the relationship between archaeological heritage and local communities. Therefore, they have also reshaped the social values ascribed to heritage by communal groups. Using the Daming Palace archaeological site as a case study, this article employs ethnographic approaches to scrutinize the impact of archaeological tourism and World Heritage designation on the social values attributed to the site by its local communities.
Worldwide archaeological tourism, or tourism to sites with archaeological significance, has been ... more Worldwide archaeological tourism, or tourism to sites with archaeological significance, has been rapidly growing and has attracted increased academic attention in recent years. China is an outstanding case in this field. In fact, its government has been actively promoting tourism and archaeological tourism for the last three decades. The understanding of the challenges that Chinese archaeological tourism is currently facing is the focus of this article. Four aspects will guide the discussion: the dilemma between site preservation and economic profitability, unregulated tourism development, the influence of UNESCO World Heritage designation, and authorities’ sensitivity towards ethnic issues in archaeological tourism.
The Huashan rock art site of China is located in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, neighbouring w... more The Huashan rock art site of China is located in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, neighbouring with Vietnam. It is generally believed that the rock art at the Huashan site was created between the Warring States Period (403–221 BCE) and Eastern Han dynasty (26–220CE), by an ethnic group named Luo Yue. This article goes beyond the conventional Chinese perspective, and tries to explore the possible connection between the landscape of the Huashan rock art site and the cosmological beliefs of the Luo Yue people.
http://www.postclassical.it/PCA_Vol.6.html
This dossier is one of the outcomes of the third and ... more http://www.postclassical.it/PCA_Vol.6.html This dossier is one of the outcomes of the third and final workshop on "“Heritage Values and the Public” of the European JPI–JHEP Heritage Values Network (H@V) project (www.heritagevalues.net/). It analyses the World Heritage Committee and site managers' engagement in the process of moving from regulation to participation in the heritage field. M. Díaz-Andreu Introduction; M. Díaz-Andreu Social values and the participation of local communities in World Heritage: a dream too far?; Q. Gao Social values and archaeological heritage: an ethnographic study of the Daming Palace archaeological site (China) PCA 2016 AWARD; G. Alexopoulos, K. Fouseki Gender exclusion and local values versus universal cultural heritage significance: the Avaton debate on the monastic community of Mount Athos; T.S. Guttormsen, J. Taylor, G. Swensen Heritage values conceptualised as heritage routes. Visions and challenges towards public diversity; M. Maluck Spatial planning as a way to stakeholder involvement in cultural heritage management. Examples from Northern Europe; D. Rodwell Community values vs World Heritage values: bridging the gap; G.P. Brogiolo The UNESCO network “The Longobards in Italy. The Places of Power (568-774 A.D.)” and the Brescia case
This paper provides a brief historical survey of the use of “value” in Spanish heritage legislati... more This paper provides a brief historical survey of the use of “value” in Spanish heritage legislation from the eighteenth century onwards. The widening of the typology of values in the Heritage Act passed in 1985 was mirrored by subsequent legislation from the seventeen autonomous communities or regional governments into which Spain is divided administratively. The last part of the paper focuses on the way values have changed over the past twenty years. It discusses the novel emphasis on social and economic values in the particular case of Catalonia.
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This dossier is one of the outcomes of the third and final workshop on "“Heritage Values and the Public” of the European JPI–JHEP Heritage Values Network (H@V) project (www.heritagevalues.net/). It analyses the World Heritage Committee and site managers' engagement in the process of moving from regulation to participation in the heritage field. M. Díaz-Andreu Introduction; M. Díaz-Andreu Social values and the participation of local communities in World Heritage: a dream too far?; Q. Gao Social values and archaeological heritage: an ethnographic study of the Daming Palace archaeological site (China) PCA 2016 AWARD; G. Alexopoulos, K. Fouseki Gender exclusion and local values versus universal cultural heritage significance: the Avaton debate on the monastic community of Mount Athos; T.S. Guttormsen, J. Taylor, G. Swensen Heritage values conceptualised as heritage routes. Visions and challenges towards public diversity; M. Maluck Spatial planning as a way to stakeholder involvement in cultural heritage management. Examples from Northern Europe; D. Rodwell Community values vs World Heritage values: bridging the gap; G.P. Brogiolo The UNESCO network “The Longobards in Italy. The Places of Power (568-774 A.D.)” and the Brescia case
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This dossier is one of the outcomes of the third and final workshop on "“Heritage Values and the Public” of the European JPI–JHEP Heritage Values Network (H@V) project (www.heritagevalues.net/). It analyses the World Heritage Committee and site managers' engagement in the process of moving from regulation to participation in the heritage field. M. Díaz-Andreu Introduction; M. Díaz-Andreu Social values and the participation of local communities in World Heritage: a dream too far?; Q. Gao Social values and archaeological heritage: an ethnographic study of the Daming Palace archaeological site (China) PCA 2016 AWARD; G. Alexopoulos, K. Fouseki Gender exclusion and local values versus universal cultural heritage significance: the Avaton debate on the monastic community of Mount Athos; T.S. Guttormsen, J. Taylor, G. Swensen Heritage values conceptualised as heritage routes. Visions and challenges towards public diversity; M. Maluck Spatial planning as a way to stakeholder involvement in cultural heritage management. Examples from Northern Europe; D. Rodwell Community values vs World Heritage values: bridging the gap; G.P. Brogiolo The UNESCO network “The Longobards in Italy. The Places of Power (568-774 A.D.)” and the Brescia case