SU, Junjie. 2023. Intangible Cultural Heritage and Tourism in China: A Critical Approach. Bristol and Jackson: Channel View Publications.

SALGUES, Camille. 2024. Une après-midi à Shanghai: L’enfance et la question anthropologique de l’âge. Geneva: Éditions ies.

Editorial - Questioning Cultural Exemplarity: Two Decades of Intangible Heritage Practices

Varying Discourse and Use of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Shaanxi Huaxian Shadow Puppets

ABSTRACT: Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) as an administrative category has been used in Chinese official discourse since the early twenty-first century. It tends to standardise in a systemic vision what practices should or should not be included in the updated definition of Chinese tradition. The role played by the central government is of utter importance, drawing on China’s administrative and legal framework. However, local dynamics and reasoning sometimes occur off the beaten track. Shadow puppet troupes are a good example of a long tradition all over China that almost disappeared during the Maoist era, but which was resurrected during the 1980s, and is now listed internationally as a form of ICH. In Hua County (Huaxian), Shaanxi Province, one of the practitioners discussed in this article belongs to a family renowned for its puppets, and he has participated in the revival of shadow puppet performances. The second case examined here is of a troupe performing in the Yongxing Fang tourist area in Xi’an. The leader of the troupe is registered on the list of heritage transmitters at the provincial level. The discourse and practice of these two troupes exemplify different attitudes towards official recognition. Analysing the Huaxian shadow puppets, I will try to find out if ICH is only a new label stuck on an older tradition or if it has a deeper influence on the survival of living traditions. KEYWORDS: shadow puppets, Xi’an, labelling process, intangible cultural heritage, UNESCO.

Les déplacés des Trois Gorges Une arrivée discrète dans la capitale économique chinoise

Parmi les déplacés des Trois Gorges, trois groupes sont arrivés à Shanghai. Originaires de zones rurales de la municipalité de Chongqing, ils ont tous été installés dans la périphérie de la métropole où une maison et des terres leur ont été attribuées. Cet article présente le cas de ceux arrivés sur l'île de Chongming. A travers leur situation, nous mettons en lumière les problèmes auxquels sont confrontés les migrants forcés et les limites de la planification gouvernementale, alors que de nouveaux plans de déplacement de population, tant en zone urbaine que rurale, se multiplient aujourd'hui en Chine.

Displacement From the Three Gorges Region A discreet arrival in the economic capital of China

The Three Gorges dam project has caused the displacement of many people. Among them, three identified groups have arrived in Shanghai. Originally from rural areas in the municipality of Chongqing, they have all been settled on the outskirts of the city, where they have been given a home and land. This article considers those who have arrived on Chongming Island. It highlights, through their situation, the problems that these forced migrants are having to face, and the limits of the government's planning when many new plans for relocating people, both in urban and rural areas, are being developed in China.

Editorial - Cultural Values in the Making: Governing through Intangible Heritage