Guardian Spirit Of The Nation's Homes

Since the setting up of Directory of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2000 and the enactment of Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003, the phrase "Intangible Cultural Heritage" has been frequently applied in the field of cultural study in the 21 century. Kunqu Opera, the Art of Guqin Music, Xinjiang Uygur Muqam Arts Ensemble and Mongolian Long-tune Folk Songs (joint declaration with the State of Mongolia) have been enlisted in Directory of Magnum Opus of Human Oral and Intangible Heritage by UNESCO, and especially in 2005, the General Office of the State Council issued Proposition for Strengthening the Safe Guarding of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage and Notification for Strengthening the Safe Guarding of Cultural Heritage, there have been an enthusiasm in protecting and studying the intangible cultural heritage in China. In 2004,Xiangxi Tujia and Miao National Minorities Autonomous Prefecture has been enlisted in the national comprehensive experiment project for protecting minorities and folk culture, being the only autonomous prefecture out of 30 in the country to be enlisted in the project. This fact indicates the richness of resources in intangible cultural heritage as well as the emergence in its rescue and protection. Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture locates in Wuling montanic areas in Northwest of Hunan province, Tujia and Miao national minorities being two of the major nationalities. From the ancient times, this place is a deposition and sedimentation of aboriginal culture, Ba culture, Chu culture and Han culture, and thus a mysterious land, a massive history book and a mysterious treasure-house of national cultural heritage.For thousands of years, owing to its unique geographical environment, the cultural ecological system relatively avoids of major damage and many raw type national and folk cultural heritage remains relatively intact. The intangible cultural heritage created and distilled by the hard-working and intellegent ancesters of the ethnic minorities has passed from generation to generation, and the rustic and kind Tujia and Miao people are still persistantly guarding their spiritual homestead. The kinds of the intangible cultural heritage of Xiangxi ethnic minorities are varied and peculiar. Refering to the relevant ducuments home and abraod concerning the standards of classification of intangible cultural heritage and varied ways of classification in academic field ,and combining the actual situation of the intangible cultural heritage of Xiangxi ethnic minorities, the author classifies Xiangxi intangible cultural heritage into seven categories: oral cultural heritage, performace art cultural heritage, traditional craft cultural heritage, folk cultural heritage, dietary cultural heritage, medicine cultural heritage, traditional competition sports and folk stunts cultural heritage. The gorgeous and varied intangible cultural heritage compose of the spiritual wealth of Xiangxi ethnic nationalities as well as an inseperable part of the country's ethnic intangible cultural heritage.However, in the recent decades of years, with the reform and opening up of the country, with the acceleration of modernization process, with the impact of mainstream culture and exotic culture and the endangerment of the cultural ecological environment in Xiangxi ethnic area, the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage is facing serious predicament. The author indicates, through field survey and research ,the various problems exist in protecting and inheritating Xiangxi ethnic intangible cultural heritage, such as emphasis in declaration but negligence in protection, dislocation in successor and lack in overall protection, etc. and proposes important principles in protecting Xiangxi ethnic cultural heritage, namely, actuality, comprehensiveness, activeness, durability, and people orientedness, and maintains that the protection of cultural space and the protection and cultivation of suuccesors is vital in inheriting Xiangxi ethnic intangible cultural heritage, and finally, in view of situation of excessive exploitation of resources of Xiangxi ethnic intangible cultural heritage and eagerness for instant success and quick profit, the author provides basic modes and contermeasures in rational exploiting and utilizing of Xiangxi ethnic intangible cultural heritage, to the effect that they might offer theoretical support and guideline in decision-making, and furnish a case or paradigm for national intangible cultural heritage perotection and especially for ethnic intangible cultural heritage protection.