Crafting heritage: artisans and the making of Indigenous heritage in contemporary Taiwan

Since the 1990s, Indigenous groups in Taiwan have been increasingly engaged in retrieving and reviving cultural practices that are considered ‘traditional’ and markers of Indigenous identities. This article takes such recent and ongoing revival of cultural practices and connected material culture amongst Taiwanese Indigenous groups as the departure point to argue that the idea of a ‘contemporary Indigenous heritage’ is constructed (notably by Indigenous artists and artisans) through the conflation of ‘tradition’, ‘value’, ‘authenticity’ and ‘indigeneity’, as well as creativity and innovation. In the article, I endeavour to explain this process. To this end, I identify and illustrate a set of strategies and discourses through which Indigenous artists and artisans in Taiwan construct their work as both ‘Indigenous’ and ‘heritage’. I suggest that such strategies and discourses revolve around the following: (i) materiality, (ii) visual display and performance, (iii) Indigenous cultural research and (iv) knowledge transmission. Building on the Taiwanese case study, this article furthers scholarly enquiries into the making of heritage by generating an enhanced understanding of the role of artists and artisans in the creation, renewal, authentication and transmission of ‘Indigenous heritage’.     

Interstate Migration: A Test of Competing Interpretations

This study presents a model of net interstate migration in the United States during the 1970s. Of 5 composite dimensions derived from an exploratory factor analysis of 20 candidate predictors of interstate migration, the greatest predictive power in an ordinary least squares regression analysis is attained by a set of quality-of-life correlates of migration. Composites of fiscal policy and labor relations variables, more controllable by public decisionmakers, are also significant.     

明代青弋江流域佛教系统初探——以寺院的时空分布为中心

青弋江流域是广义江南的重要组成部分,明朝时期流域内佛教稳定发展。通过对方志资料为中心的数据统计,我们可以发现,明代青弋江流域内寺院的新建、重修呈现出较为明显的时空差异。在新建寺院方面,时间上集中于洪武、万历、崇祯三朝,空间上则以宣城所在的中游地区为核心;在重修寺院方面,时间上以正统之前居多,空间上仍以宣城、泾县较为集中。宣城、泾县成为明代青弋江流域佛教发展的中心地区,与其悠久的佛教传统、良好的佛教基础以及较高的社会经济发展水平密切相关。     

A Brief Introduction to the Tibetan Buddhism

Despite the rolling of high plateau and stunning Himalayas, Tibet has a nickname of “Holy Land” with its ancient history and colorful culture. Refered as Shangri-La, the roof of the world and many more, the mysterious kingdom remained closed to others, exerting a strong hold on the imagination of the world. For centuries, it has fascinated mankind in various ways. Its religion is one of astonishing one. Here we have questions! What is Tibetan Buddhism about? How many sects it has? What about each one‘s doctrine? Have you ever known its architectures, its religious arts, as well as its incarnation of Living Buddha? People feel curious about its powerful inspiration and cohesive strength,     

解读邓家湾

本文对天门石家河古城中的邓家湾遗址进行系统的解读,认为屈家岭文化一期的社会分化还不明显,社区共同体的成员们在以公共的神话英雄祖先为崇拜对象的宗教权威的动员下修建了规模巨大的石家河城墙.屈家岭文化二期和石家河文化一期社会分化加剧,较为私密的血缘祖先崇拜一度取代了社区公共件宗教祭祀.到石家河文化二期,贵族主导下的公共祭祖活动再次兴起,但到了三期,这一活动衰落而巫师开始成为社会主角.     

《哈姆莱特》经典独白解读

《哈姆莱特》的第一幕第三场中有哈姆雷特关于生死问题的经典独白,这段独白可以说是深入认识哈姆莱特个人性格甚至是理解整个戏剧的关键。独白不仅是针对哈姆菜特个人的复仇计划同时也包含着深刻的意蕴。长久以来,学者们对于这段经典独白有很多不同的解读。本文将从哈姆莱特个人性格、戏剧情节、社会意义等角度深入解读这段独白在戏剧中的合理性和不可或缺性。     

中国佛教世俗化表现及原因探析

作为一种文化现象,佛教具有其自身的特点。但在佛教扎根中国的过程中,随着佛教与中国本土文化的日益融合,佛教愈来愈多地打上了中国传统文化的印记,而佛教原始教义里的一些本质的东西也随之消失或变更,比如佛教的戒律,佛教关于人与人之间以及人与世界宇宙之间的关系,人的价值观等等。实际上产生了一种与原始佛教完全不同的中国式佛教,这种中国式佛教的最大特点就是以功利主义为核心的世俗化。