Intangible Cultural Route Study

Cultural Routes represent a new approach in the currently evolving and expanding process that affects the conceptual universe of cultural heritage, and this process has been more and more accepted in the conservation practical works at a national and international level. However, the concept of Cultural Routes is based on a fragile theoretical system, and until now there is no final definition and international Charter on Cultural Routes. Being the first dissertation on Cultural Routes in China, this dissertation re-thought the birth and development of Cultural Routes, discussed the unsatisfied aspects of this concept in intension and extension.The idea of Intangible Cultural Routes (ICR), which originally came from this dissertation and based on the theory of Enculturation and Cultural Routes, offers new perspective as well as new type for preserving cultural heritage. It links together the dispersive heritage which essentially unite, and protects the heritage for its cultural significance and Commemorative Integrity. Basically, the study on Intangible Cultural Routes is a part of the Intangible Setting Studies as well as the study of Culture-led Regeneration.The city emerging in Chinese colonial period, Wuhan is the subject of the research to develop the idea that the heritage given birth in the intercultural communication, could be promoted, protected and managed with the idea of Intangible Cultural Routes. The intangible line of Cultural Change from 1861 to 1927 was linking the three parts of Wuhan to be the representation of the outstanding value of Chinese cultural reorientation. With the help of the Intangible Cultural Routes study, not only could some of the heritage of Wuhan could be promoted to an international outstanding value, but also it could make clear the five ambiguous understandings of this city. Besides, in the ICR's point of view, the city Wuhan emerged and shaped with the China's modern cultural reorientation, by the reorientation and for the reorientation, so it could be defined as a Metropolis of China's Modern Cultural Reorientation.