Community empowerment as an approach to heritage conservation · Beitou borough in Taipei City,...
Transcript of Community empowerment as an approach to heritage conservation · Beitou borough in Taipei City,...
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Community empowerment
as an approach to
heritage conservation:
Wentsung Den
PhD student, Dept. of Archaeology,
,University of York, UK
the experience of Beitou borough
in Taipei City, Taiwan
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Content
1 Introduction
2 Heritage story: community-empowering
approach to heritage conservation in
Beitou, Taipei
3 Heritage, history and identity
4 The comparison of two perspectives on
heritage conservation
5 Conclusion
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1 Introduction
(1) Community participation in heritage
conservation:
The role of laymen in a professional field.
(2) Study topics:
‧ the role of community in heritage
conservation and their relation with
professionals
‧ the comparisons between expert-centered
and community-empowerment approach
from Beitou experience.
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2 Heritage story Beitou borough in Taipei City, Taiwan
Background -1
˙Famous for its hot spring resources and
natural scenery
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2 Heritage story
Background -2
˙The hot spring industry was developed during the
Japanese colonial period(1895-1945) and some privately-
owned hot spring hotels also provide sex services.
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2 Heritage story
Background -3
˙Such hot spring industry with sex services continued
after Japanese left(1945) and reached its peak around the
Korean(1950-53) and Vietnam Wars.(1955-75)
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2 Heritage story Background -4
˙ After the abolishment of sex services in 1979,
Beitou suffered a long period of depression from
historic stigma.
˙ The number of hot
spring hotels decreased
from about 100 to 10.
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The turning point: heritage campaign
˙Until 1995, local people re-recognized the pride
of Beitou through heritage conservation which
was initiated by schoolchildren to save a derelict
colonial complex of public baths.
˙ The public baths were designated as historical
sites in 1997 but it’s not the end but the start
of the
formation
of heritage.
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Before designation 1
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Before designation 2
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The public baths in Japanese colonial era 1 (1913)
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Before designation 3
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The public baths in Japanese colonial era 4
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Before designation 4
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The public baths in Japanese colonial era 2
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The public baths in Japanese colonial era 3
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After renovation 1 (in 1998) Local people deeply involved.
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After renovation 2 (in 1998) Local people deeply involved.
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After renovation 3 (in 1998) Local people deeply involved.
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After renovation 4 (in 1998) Local people deeply involved.
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The involvement of community
˙Local people deeply involve in all the affairs related to
the planning, design and renovation of the historical
building.
˙With the help of experts, they wish they can revitalize
and manage the Beitou Public Baths as a community
museum by themselves.
˙They further connect other local cultural resources and
heritage with it to
develop a eco-museum
network.
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The revitalization of heritage 1 ˙The public baths was transferred into a public-private
partnership community museum, and became a hot
cultural tourism spot after renovation.
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The revitalization of heritage 2 ˙ The museum play as a starting point to branch out
and explore more of the local rich cultural, historical
and natural heritage.
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The revitalization of heritage 3 ˙ The heritage site serve as a community center for
people to participate various activities and to enjoy
themselves.
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The revitalization of heritage 3
˙The establishment of community cultural, historical
tourism and heritage network.
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The multiple benefits for the
regeneration of Beitou -1 ˙Local people no more felt embarrassed about the past
and started to be proud of their
homeland through
participation in
heritage conservation
and revitalization.
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The multiple benefits for the
regeneration of Beitou -2
˙the museum effectively stimulated local industries and
tourism to enhance their services
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Cultural Tourism promotion
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International cultural exchange
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International cultural exchange
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The multiple benefits for the
regeneration of Beitou 3
˙The experience of community engagement with heritage
recognition, revitalization and management inspired
people to actively participate in other community issues
and to build their vision of Beitou.
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The multiple benefits for the
regeneration of Beitou 4
˙Through the exploration of local heritage by
community empowerment, heritage functioned as
catalyst to lead a community towards sustainable
development,
to revitalize local industry,
to stimulate the community consciousness, and to
reshape local identity.
The image of Beitou is positively improved and
promoted.
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Two types of heritage in Beitou
◆ The top-down, expert-centered type of heritage
◆ The bottom-up, community-empowerment type
of heritage
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Top-down heritage Stone archway of Qing dynasty (Est. 1861, designated
in 1985)
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Stone archway of Qing dynasty
◆ Original Chinese artefact which set up in 1861 to
praise a moral woman who did not remarry after her
husband died in her youth and raised her children
by herself.
◆ It was designated as monument for its historic
and political interest in 1985. However, this stone
archway seems forgotten by most of the local
people in their daily lives.
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Bottom up heritage
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Beitou hot spring museum
◆ A Colonial Japanese building which was built
in 1913 and was previously going to be dismantled
but at last was saved by the local people.
◆ Most local people appreciate and are proud of
this historic building. It become the vivid image of
Beitou.
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3 Heritage and Identity ◆ Heritage related to Identity.
◆ Identity relates to who we think we are
and what we want to conserve as heritage
in our lives.
◆ Identity has close connection to history.
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3 Heritage, History and Identity -1
Before 1895
Japan Qing Dynasty
Taiwan
illegal Immigrants
Aboriginal people
★
Beijing
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3 Heritage , History and Identity -2
Japan ruled Taiwan Between 1895 and 1945
Japan Qing Dynasty
Taiwan
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3 Heritage , History and Identity -3
Qing Dynasty was overthrew and the Public of China
was established in 1911
Japan
The Public of China
(R.O.C)
Taiwan
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3 Heritage , History and Identity -4
Taiwan was returned to the jurisdiction of the Public
of China in 1945 (after the end of WWⅡ).
Japan
The Public of China
(R.O.C)
Taiwan
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3 Heritage , History and Identity -5 R.O.C was defeated by Communist Party of China
(P.R.C) and fled to Taiwan in 1949.
The People’s Republic of China
(P.R.C)
The Public of China
(R.O.C) Taiwan
KMT party
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The poltical context and devolution
of heritage politics in Taiwan Political context
˙Intentionally
eradicate the
legacy of Japanese
colonizers before
after
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The political context in Taiwan
Cultural counter-attact
Cultural revolution vs. Cultural Renaissance
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The poltical context and devolution of heritage
adminstration Taiwan
Political context
˙Privilege Han Chinese (upper) culture and ignore local
Taiwanese ( lower ) culture and history
before after
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3 Heritage and Identity
China
(dominant culture)
Taiwan
Japan
(Colonial legacy)
Aboriginal culture Local culture
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3 Heritage , History and Identity -6
Political dilemma
˙A state without nationhood
˙The Taiwanization of the R.O.C regime
before after disappear
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3 Heritage , History and Identity -7
˙The historic plan to rebuild national
identity --- commune of life of the New
Taiwanese
˙Community empowerment program aka
Holistic community building
Community
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3 Heritage , History and Identity -8
The devolution of Heritage power
˙ Revise the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act to
authorize local governments the power of heritage
designation.
˙ A trend of
‘democratization’
of heritage
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Heritage (particular
objects reviewed and
selected from the past )
Knowledge production
(values) Investigation
Experts & Authority
Education Safeguarding
Community People
The top-down model of historical heritage
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The bottom-up model of cultural heritage
Artifact
Historical building
Landscape
Environment
Social relations
Sense of place
Tradition
Empowerment
Experts
Local People heritage
Knowledge or
technique service
Meanings
Inspiring / supporting
Daily life
Collective
Memories
Experience
Stories
A cyclic cultural and social process (exploration, designation, renovation, revitalization, empowerment)
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The comparison of two approaches -1
Type Historical heritage Cultural heritage
Time Past Everyday life
Present
Nature Static Evolving
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The comparison of two approaches -2
Type Historical heritage Cultural heritage
Criteria Objective
values
Collective
meanings
Idea Historical
evidences
Cultural
citizenship
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The comparison of two approaches -3
Type Historical heritage Cultural heritage
Subject Static objects Evolving Process
Means Conservation
Empowerment
Approach Top-down Bottom-up
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The comparison of two approaches -4
Type
Historical heritage Cultural heritage
Principle Conserve as found Empowering by
participation
Base Expert-based Community-based
Experts’
Role Guide Facilitator
People’s
access to
heritage
Limited Full
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Conclusion
˙There might exist different types of heritage.
˙ Heritage might be not only a born, isolated
object which is solely decided by experts or
authorities,
˙ on the other hand, it could also be a made,
interactive process in which people gradually
recognize its meaning.
˙ It seems worthy to notice such differences
when one engaged in community heritage.
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Thank you for your attention
The End
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Chronicle of events 1861 The setting up of stone archway of Qing dynasty
1895 The development of hot spring industry
1950-75 The hot spring industry with sex service
reached its peak
1979 The abolishment of sex industry in Beitou
1985 The heritage designation of stone archway
1995 The petition to save Beitou Public Baths
1997 The heritage designation of Beitou Public Baths
1998 The opening of Beitou Hot Spring Museum
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3 Heritage , History and Identity The difference between two sides
The People’s Republic of China
(P.R.C)
The Public of China
(R.O.C) Taiwan
‧Communism
‧Totalitarianism
‧Traditional soc.
‧ Censorship
‧ No freedom of
speech
Ect.
‧Capitalism
‧ Democracy
‧Civil society
‧ Freedom of
speech
‧ FB Ect.
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Sense of place The illegal settlement
of military veterans
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Sense of place The illegal settlement
of military veterans
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History of people The former brothel
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Collective memory The residences of
Japanese officers