One of the most frequently repeated issues in protecting cultural heritage is the difficult relationship between the interests of the individual and the community.
Ancient Romans established that a work of art could be considered part of the possessions of the whole community, even if privately owned. For example, sculptures decorating the façade of a private building were recognized as having a common value and couldn’t be removed, since they stood in a public site, where they could be seen by all citizens.
The statesman and general Agrippa placed the Apoxyomenos, a masterpiece by the very famous Greek sculptor Lysippos, in front of his bathroom. Emperor Tiberius deeply admired the sculpture and ordered it be removed from the public view and placed in his private palace. The Roman people rose up and forced him to return the Apoxyomenos to its previous location, where everyone could admire it!
The term “cultural heritage” typically raises the idea of a single society and the communication between its members. But cultural boundaries are not necessarily well-defined. Artists, writers, scientists, craftsmen and musicians learn from each other, even if they belong to different cultures, far removed in space or time. Just think about the influence of Japanese prints on Paul Gauguin’s paintings; or of African masks on Pablo Picasso’s works.
Let’s take another example, that of the Mona Lisa painted in the early sixteenth century by Leonardo da Vinci. From a modern point of view, whose national heritage does the Mona Lisa belong to?
Leonardo was a very famous Italian painter, that’s why the Mona Lisa is obviously part of the Italian cultural heritage. When Leonardo went to France, to work at King Francis I’s court, he probably brought the Mona Lisa with him. It seems that in 1518 King Francis I acquired the Mona Lisa, which therefore ended up in the royal collections: that’s why it is obviously part of the French national heritage, too. This painting belongs to the cultural heritage of all mankind.
Cultural heritage passed down to us from our parents must be preserved for the benefit of all. In an era of globalization, cultural heritage helps us to remember our cultural diversity, and its understanding develops mutual respect and renewed dialogue amongst different cultures.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We often hear about the importance of cultural heritage. But what is cultural heritage and why is it important?
First of all, let’s have a look at the meaning of the words. “Heritage” is a property, something that is inherited, passed down from previous generations. In the case of “cultural heritage,” the heritage doesn’t consist of money or property, but of culture, values and traditions. Cultural heritage implies a shared bond, our belonging to a community. It represents our history and our identity; our bond to the past, to our present, and the future.
Cultural heritage often brings to mind artifacts (paintings, drawings, prints, mosaics, sculptures), historical monuments and buildings, as well as archaeological sites. But the concept of cultural heritage is even wider than that, and has gradually grown to include all evidence of human creativity and expression: photographs, documents, books and manuscripts, and instruments, etc. either as individual objects or as collections. Today, towns, underwater heritage, and the natural environment are also considered part of cultural heritage since communities identify themselves with the natural landscape.
Moreover, cultural heritage is not only limited to material objects that we can see and touch. It also consists of immaterial elements: traditions, oral history, performing arts, social practices, traditional craftsmanship, representations, rituals, knowledge and skills transmitted from generation to generation within a community.
But cultural heritage is not just a set of cultural objects or traditions from the past. It is also the result of a selection process: a process of memory and forgetfulness that characterizes every human society constantly engaged in choosing — for both cultural and political reasons — what is worthy of being preserved for future generations and what is not.
All peoples make their contribution to the culture of the world. That’s why it’s important to respect and safeguard all cultural heritage, through national laws and international treaties. Illicit trafficking of artifacts and cultural objects, pillaging of archaeological sites, and destruction of historical buildings and monuments cause irreparable damage to the cultural heritage of a country. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), founded in 1946, has adopted international conventions on the protection of cultural heritage, to foster intercultural understanding while stressing the importance of international cooperation.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Changing Spring Festival
The Spring Festival, as it is celebrated today, has undergone many changes, the country’s economic development and globalization.
No Spring Festival is complete without food. People could not get good food with desired in earlier times, something that does not apply to society today. The best time celebrate was when food was available in plenty, and that was possible in spring, or the beginning of the Lunar New Year. That was the main reason why the Spring Festival acquired such great importance among Chinese people. But three decades of economic growth has ensured that people in China can enjoy a good meal whenever they want. People seem not to long for delicious food like before during the Spring Festival due to the change in people’s fortune.
In the past, celebrations were limited to events like song-and-dance duets(二人转)in North China, dragon and lion dances in South China and fireworks. And economic development and urbanization seems to have ensured various forms of entertainment and communication. People can watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV or even on the cellphone.
Many customs associated with the Spring Festival have changed, too. In the past, people used to visit relatives and friends with gifts and lots of good wishes. Today, many people, especially the youth, use their cell phones or the Internet to send their good wishes and even “gifts” to their relatives and friends. Some may say this is a sign that people have become less caring about their near and dear ones, but we can see this development as a time-and energy-saving exercise granted by the information age.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
