中国的庙宇建造与文化遗产

文章研究了在长江三角洲下游的金华建造黄大仙庙宇对大陆的中国人、香港人和国家的多重意义。庙宇的建造被视为建构"文化遗产"的工程,是一个为了现在和将来的利益而对过去做出新的解释、发明的过程。首先,1997年前香港的香客唤起了当地人对黄大仙的记忆,引发了种种跨国界的联系,大陆人将新建的庙宇当作宗教活动举行的地点,并意图吸引游客和开发当地经济,拉近大陆的中国人和海外华人之间的关系。同时庙宇建造对海外华人来说是对真实性和根的怀旧探求。而国家则用黄大仙作为一个民族主义的象征符号,强化大陆人和海外华人的中国人身份认同,巩固跨国界的民族主义身份认同。

Temple-building and Heritage in China

Building Huang Da Xian temples in Jinhua in the Lower Yangtze Delta is a 'heritage' process which involves interpretation,manipulation,and invention of the past for present and future interests.Local memories of the saint Huang Da Xian were awakened by Hong Kong pilgrims,and the subsequent construction of temples enacted the politics of nationalism with a transnational connection.The process of remembering the saint and constructing temples creates,mediates,and invents relationships between the locals in Jinhua and the Chinese living in mainland China and elsewhere.The multiple meanings of temple-building are examined for the mainland Chinese,the Chinese in Hong Kong and Taiwan,and the nation state.While the mainlanders treat new temples as places to perform religious activities,attract tourists,and develop the local economy,temple construction for the overseas Chinese is a nostalgic search for authenticity and roots.The state has utilized Huang Da Xian as a symbol of nationalism to reinforce the Chinese identity among mainlanders and all other Chinese.