Chinese Cultural Heritage

Every nation's cultural heritage is its foundation; it was organically shaped by the experiences of

every individual who has ever lived. A feeling of shared history and kinship is fostered, and

people are encouraged to tell their own experiences and learn about the history of others around

them. Anything often takes decades or even centuries to emerge to be deemed a part of a

country's heritage and culture. There are few cultures as ancient and complex as Chinese culture,

so it is so distinct and recognizable across the globe. Furthermore, it is generally seen as exotic

and mysterious because of the boundaries established in the past. To understand the current state

of events within the context of Chinese civilization, it is necessary to examine the country's

history to a significant degree.

Babylon, India, and Egypt are the other three ancient civilizations. China has now joined them.

For more than 3,600 years, the country has been a source of inspiration for the world with its

intricate and superb culture. It is consequently possible to trace the roots of Chinese culture back

hundreds of years. The Chinese see China's culture as a benefit in defining their status as a global

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landmark. To better understand China's cultural legacy, it is necessary to look at the many

components of culture. Changes in China's heritage policy from the 1980s to the present may be

attributed to some factors. Why did City X's efforts to preserve its history fail? Community Y's

societal reaction to the heritagization of Z cultural practices differs from that of Community Z. Is

"superstition" a part of China's "intangible cultural heritage?" Is it possible to implement a

heritage-driven urban development approach in China? Chinese society's everyday spending

habits impact historical tourism (Nyíri and Nyíri, 2006). Along are the world heritage sites

located in China. To better understand China's rich cultural legacy, we'll look at everything from

art to entertainment to the food and beverages people eat and drink. In addition, several of

China's cultural heritage places will be examined in the study.

Figure 1 Singer and "Face-Changing" Entertainer "Bian Lian."

The Ministry of Culture was formed in 1949. A new democratic culture strategy in China Private

cultural companies throughout the nation were socialist zed in 1956. The "Cultural Revolution"

of 1966–1976 was one example. 1979-2000: market economy establishment. China started

reforming and opening up in 1979. This report was published in 1985 by China's General Office

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of State Council. This is the first official Chinese policy document to describe cultural

enterprises. In 2002, China adopted "grow the culture industry" as a significant cultural strategy.

China's growing cultural industries reflect a "dual-track" structure (artistic endeavours + cultural

industries). China has released many procedures and policies to enhance the cultural sector.

China's cultural sector strategy focuses on planning and promotion. Plans for the future of the

cultural industries are made under the planning policy. Modern cultural policy is directly related

to China's political structure (Siu, 2019). The Chinese Communist Party, the National People's

Congress, and the State Council make cultural policy decisions. Content-specific statistical

categorization and industry management policies were developed this policy by many ministries,

including the Ministry of Culture. Cultural sector administration is built on CCCP documents

and rules. The NPC is China's top legislative body.

The State Council's cultural and artistic initiatives go under the Ministry of Culture. The SARFT

oversees China's news, publishing, radio, cinema, and television. One of China's most significant

cultural initiatives is to speed up the change of government services. After 2011, it removed ten

administrative film clearances. In 2016, 772 domestic feature films were released, grossing 49.2

billion RMB. Over time, local cultural businesses with Chinese cultural elements and ethnic

minority cultural resources grew. A slew of cultural rules clarifies that private money may join

specific industries. China must ease capital market regulations to foster the growth of the cultural

sector.

Opening finance markets and broadening funding options help the cultural sector grow. This is

the first macro-cultural financial policy developed by many ministries to address the industry's

funding issues. Its 2012 "Opinions of the State Council on Further Supporting the Healthy

Development of Small and Micro Enterprises" also demanded "supporting the growth of

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different sorts of small and micro-sized cultural businesses." China's focus on culture's social

impacts strengthens cultural content management (Cheng and Ma, 2009). The 19th Congress

underlined the value of culture. The Chinese traditional culture has been fostered for over 5,000

years. Technology is now vital to the growth of the cultural business.

China aims to build several mainstream media with sophisticated technology, competition,

influence, and reputation. This approach would profoundly alter China's media growth with the

conventional understanding of news. A cultural market's long-term success depends on cultural

consumption. It also drives the cultural industry's growth. China's cultural policy evolved from

new democracy through socialism to a market economy. China's present cultural policy promotes

liberal economic policies. It also values culture's societal worth to ensure cultural security. The

current Chinese cultural policy must balance the social, cultural, and economic implications of

cultural industry. China's internal and foreign growth agenda has posed new cultural policy

issues. Supply-side structural reform is used mainly in economics (Silverman and Blumenfield,

2013). China's current culture strategy has a tremendous problem in implementing supply-side

changes. Chinese culture policy will constantly challenge preserving and promoting traditional

Chinese culture while modernizing it. China is approaching an age of converging agrarian,

industrial, and information civilizations. Only innovative cultural policies will allow Chinese

culture to explore and flourish.

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 Figure 2 A commercially made Great Wall of China-themed fragrant wood folding fan

During the Xia and Shang dynasties, the king and diviners served as priests, worshipping the

supreme deity Shang Di. The Zhou dynasty directed it to heaven worship. A spiritual realm

exists in Chinese culture. Countless divination systems have helped solve concerns and even

replaced medicine. Folklore has helped explain the unexplainable. On commonly confuses myth,

religion, and inexplicable phenomena (Schroeder et al., 2017). Many of the tales have become

Chinese traditions. Like the Door god and the Imperial guarding lions, other notions have

transcended mythology.

Along with the sacred, there comes evil. Some examples are traditions like Taoist exorcism and

battling mogwai & jiangshi with peach wood swords. There are still a few Chinese fortune-

telling practices that are used today. Taoism traditions stress living according to the Tao

(meaning "Way", sometimes Romanized as Dao). In Taoism, the Tao represents the principle of

the source, pattern, and essence of everything. Not relying on rigorous rituals and social order,

Taoism is not Confucian. Some schools stress wu Wei (effortless action), "naturalness",

simplicity, spontaneity, as well as the Three Treasures: "compassion", /"frugality", and

"humility". Taoism dates back to the 4th century BCE. Taoism depended on the School of

Yinyang (Naturalists) for cosmological ideas. The Yijing, one of China's oldest writings, used a

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philosophical framework for keeping human conduct in tune with nature's alternating cycles. The

"Legalist" Shen Buhai may have influenced wu Wei realpolitik. The Tao Te Ching, along with

Zhuangzi's subsequent works, is often regarded as the early work of the Taoist tradition (Louie,

2008).

Figure 3 Wu Zetian commissioned the construction of the Longmen Grottoes' Fengxian cave in 675 AD

Classical Chinese was the writing system of choice in ancient times. Around 1000 BC, the I

Ching, or "Book of Changes," was the first known classic Chinese text. During the Song

dynasty, printmaking in moveable type was established. Reformers chose the spoken form of

Mandarin as the basis for a national language. Catalogue of Intangible Cultural Heritage that

requires immediate preservation. Spinning, dying, weaving, and embroidering are traditional Li

textile methods. China. Chinese wooden bridge construction methods have been handed down

through generations (Silverman and Blumenfield, 2013).

Post-Socialist Yangzhou, formerly the capital of China, has been altered. While Imperial China's

"temporary palace" and the Communist regime's "city as a tool to create industrial industries" are

mentioned, "an ecological garden, as well as a city with an appealing living environment" are

also mentioned in this story of its urban growth. Value systems and economic and political

restrictions are intertwined to explain the evolution of the city's population. Because of the

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investment possibilities and local power limits on established plans, this theory assumes that

urban growth ultimately depends on a region's economics.

Figure 4 Lacquerware, as well as the jade from Yangzhou, have long been prized collectables

Heritage preservation in Hong Kong is hindered most by a lack of developable land, the existing

land policy, and the city's expanding population. To make matters worse, there is no clear vision

for the long term, and the available resources don't fit the project's needs. Preservation of historic

structures enables people to learn further about our history and the progress of our society and so

establish a feeling of belonging and identity within our community. Morals, values, and goals are

part of the culture's history. They help to shape a nation's sense of national pride. To protect our

national identity, we must preserve our cultural legacy. There's no intrinsic worth in the

expression of culture (Zhang, 2020).

Progress in China's efforts to preserve cultural heritage may strengthen its base. The country's

largest-ever heritage site inventory, China's Third National Heritage Site Inventory, began a

decade ago. These areas were surveyed: the Great Wall, the Grand Canal, the Silk Road, and

submerged riches. Priority protected sites at regional and municipal levels have grown

dramatically in the last several years. For thirteen years running, China has been nominated for

nominations to the UNESCO World Heritage List for its cultural heritage sites. China signed the

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Convention on the Preservation of the World's Natural and Cultural Heritage in 1985 (Shepherd,

2017). The World Heritage List included forty-eight Chinese sites at the end of 2015.

Conservation efforts throughout the world have benefited greatly from China's actions. China's

theoretical underpinning for legacy protection has been strengthened by including new forms of

cultural assets. As a result of international conferences and papers, China and its counterparts

overseas have maintained contact and exchange. China's Cultural Heritage Conservation Forum

was established in 2006 in Wuxi.

Figure 5 Fujian Province's Shangli Reservoir. As a reminder of China's industrial past, the site opened in 1925

As a result of changing circumstances, the China Principles have been updated. SACH accepted

the modification, which was carried out in conjunction with ICOMOS China and the GCI over

four years, and the new version of the Principles was published in 2015. This text has more

specific standards, making it more authoritative and forward-thinking. Chinese heritage

conservationists' understanding of legacy values, preservation principles, and a need to save

newly identified forms of cultural heritage is on display in this report.

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One of Beijing's most iconic landmarks is the Great Wall of China. One of the Seven Wonders of

the World, the highest wall globally, displays a characteristic of an ancient building. The Chinese

dynasty intended to use the construction of this wall as a defence against northern invaders.

There have been construction efforts going on from the seventh century BCE, and they have

lasted till 1644. In 1987, UNESCO designated the Great Wall of China as a global cultural

heritage site. This place is a popular tourist destination because of its historical significance

(Kuah and Liu, 2016). "The highest cost in human lives, blood, sweat, and tears" is claimed to

have been incurred by the construction of this wall. The Great Wall of China symbolizes China's

unification since it depicts the Qin Dynasty era when China's many kingdoms were united under

a single ruler (221- 206 BC). Because of the great wall, China shows that it can work together as

one. The division also symbolizes China's desire to protect its culture by separating it from the

rest of the world. It's also a popular tourist destination in China because of its cultural

significance.

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Figure 6 not only is the Great Wall a landmark because it is the world's most extended manufactured structure. It has become a
national emblem and one of China's most popular tourist attractions since it played a critical role in China's defence against
northern invasion for millennia

Beijing's Temple of Heaven is another cultural landmark to see. Among Beijing's imperial

temples, it is regarded as one of the holiest. The Temple of Heaven was built in the royal garden

by Emperor Zhu Di (1420 AD) during the Ming dynasty. During the winter, the emperor would

often visit the temple to offer sacrifices to God and pray for a bountiful crop. The emperor's

reign may be in jeopardy if the poor crop is viewed as a withdrawal of blessings from Heaven.

As a result, the emperor needed to pray for a bountiful crop. With its intricate and mysterious

architecture, the Temple of Heaven depicted the workings of our cosmos and seasonal cycles.

When designing the Circular Alter at the temple, for example, it was thought that the number 9

was the most powerful. Thus the slabs were constructed in multiples of 9. There were also four

centre pillars (representing the seasons), twelve inner columns (representing the twelve months

of the year), and twelfth outside columns custom-designed for the hall of Played for good

Harvest. In 1998, UNESCO designated the Temple of Heaven as a global cultural heritage site

(Shepherd, 2017).

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Figure 7 Central Beijing's Temple of Heaven is a sprawling imperial religious complex located in the city's southeast. To pray to
Heaven for a prosperous crop, the Ming and Qing dynasties would visit the complex every year

Another facet of Chinese customs with deep cultural significance is the celebration of traditional

festivals. Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC) festivals developed from the primordial sacrifices and

taboos of the Qin dynasty to include amusement elements by the Tang Dynasty period (220–499

AD) (AD 618 - 907). The Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat

Festival, and the Double Seven Celebrations are among the most prominent Chinese festivals.

Winter Solstice, Double Ninth and Mid-autumn festivals are among the others. For example, the

spring festival is one of the most significant celebrations in China. The first month of the lunar

calendar is celebrated on the 15th day. It's a way to honour the poet Qu Yuan, who lived so long

ago. Rice dumping (Zong zi), dragon boat races, and aromatic handicrafts are also part of the

celebration. On the other hand, other festivals are held at certain times and for specific reasons.

Another facet of Chinese culture is its food, which has a long history. It has already been shown

that the Chinese cuisine's distinctive diets have found their way into other countries. In most

cases, a regular meal consists of two halves. Carbohydrates, such as rice or wheat-based goods,

will be the first component of the meal. Vegetables, fish or meat make up the other half of most

dishes. Wooden chopsticks are the primary eating utensils in the Chinese culture for eating solid

meals. Soups are traditionally eaten with a flat-bottomed ceramic spoon. Because knives and

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forks were considered weapons in the Chinese culture, their usage was discouraged. Rice is

usually served in a separate bowl for each guest, whereas other meals are presented on a

communal plate for everyone to share. Desserts served raw are uncommon in Chinese cuisine.

Due to China's vast population and lack of animals, human excrement is widely utilized in

producing vegetables. So, it is recommended to prepare the food thoroughly before consuming it

for health reasons.

In contrast, fruit-based sweets are frequently offered after meals or as a famous soup. It's also

common in Chinese cuisine to avoid cold beverages after meals since they're thought to be bad

for your stomach. Because of this, western-style soft drinks like water are relatively rare. It is

more common to provide hot soup or a hot beverage, such as tea or hot water, to help digest fatty

meals (Yao and Han, 2016).

Cultural heritage locations classified as such are a part of China's cultural legacy and the many

forms of entertainment that may be found there. A unique and rich cultural history has been

maintained for generations in medical, administration, education, and the hotel sector. China's

distinctive cultural characteristics are practised in many countries throughout the globe and have

had a significant impact on social-culture development in China and other countries. East Asian

culture has traditionally been dominated by Chinese civilization. One of the oldest civilizations

on Earth, China influences Asian philosophy, morality, and etiquette to a large extent. Among

China's national treasures are its natural beauties and ancient landmarks and its ethnic music and

festivals. Ceramics, architecture, music, literature, martial arts, food, visual arts, philosophy, and

religion are essential aspects of Chinese culture. There are 56 officially recognized ethnic groups

in China, with the Han Chinese making up the majority of the population.

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References:

Cheng, E.W., Ma, S., 2009. Heritage conservation through a private donation: the case of Dragon

Garden in Hong Kong. Int. J. Herit. Stud. 15, 511–528.

Kuah, K.E., Liu, Z., 2016. Intangible cultural heritage in contemporary China. Florence

Routledge Ltd Doi 10, 9781315628974.

Louie, K., 2008. The Cambridge companion to modern Chinese culture. Cambridge University

Press.

Nyíri, P., Nyíri, P., 2006. Scenic spots: Chinese tourism, the state, and cultural authority.

University of Washington Press.

Schroeder, J., Borgerson, J., Wu, Z., 2017. A brand culture approach to Chinese cultural heritage

brands, in: Advances in Chinese Brand Management. Springer, pp. 80–106.

Shepherd, R.J., 2017. UNESCO's tangled web of preservation: Community, heritage and

development in China. J. Contemp. Asia 47, 557–574.

Silverman, H., Blumenfield, T., 2013. Cultural heritage politics in China: An introduction, in:

Cultural Heritage Politics in China. Springer, pp. 3–22.

Siu, H.F., 2019. Recycling rituals: politics and popular culture in contemporary rural China, in:

Unofficial China. Routledge, pp. 121–137.

Yao, Y., Han, R., 2016. Challenging, but not Trouble-Making: cultural elites in China's urban

heritage preservation. J. Contemp. China 25, 292–306.

Zhang, Q., 2020. Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding in Times of Crisis. Asian Ethnol. 79,

91–113.

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