Narrative And Use Of Heritage

Museums are not only exhibition places but also a form of cultural heritage.The museums were sites that full with treasure and oriented toward articles in the past.But now,they orient toward people and stress on integration of ancient and modern times and diversified participation.Currently,the function of museum has been transformed,focusing on inheriting historical memory and creating identification,which surpasses single fetter of material and culture.Therefore,the narrative and usage of museums face with new challenges.On one hand,narrative logic and structure must be adjusted to break the bound between material and immaterial substances.On the other hand,application area should be extended to make museums become comprehensive public space for social communication.Taking a basis of New Narrative Theory for museum and Critical Heritage Studies,this thesis studies Chongqing Gele Mountain Revolutionary Museum and explores its narrative and usage of legacy through the Discourse Analysis and Participatory Observation.The basic frame is consist of below three aspects:Firstly,identifying the social and cultural background of the foundation,the narrative start and the building process of cultural legacy of Chongqing Gele Mountain Revolutionary Museum.Based on this way,we can conclude that society formed the value of legacy,which is mainly affected by authoritative discourse and practice from the elites like government and specialists and so on.Secondly,analyzing the exhibition and narration difference of the museum in different social context and explaining how its function transferred from a single education place that displayed and advertised articles to a service space of public culture by its historical changes of narrative and evolution of spiritual space.The discourse system has been changed from authoritative one with single ideology that based on the ruling party to diversified one that conforms to socialist core values.This series of historical changes show that the change of legacy is a social and cultural transition,which is dynamic and negotiatory.Thirdly,through the foundation of a series of scenic spots that taking Hongyan Sprit as a core,studying how the public imperceptibly influence museum’s values recognition and the establishment of cultural thinking and emotional memory in different historical processes,which shows that heritage has different ways of use for the public.It is not only a collective memory,but also related to the public’s identification for local and nation.Lastly,concluding the problems and findings that this thesis illustrated.The narrative change of the exhibition in Gleshan Revolutionary Memorial Hall shows the evolutionary history from "material-oriented" to "human-oriented".It can be found that the study and use of heritage is not only the material evidence of the past or history,but also the link between the past and the present,which is the link between the construction of contemporary significance and the past history and culture,and the reflection on the future.The practice of heritage in museums needs to emphasize the relationship between heritage and people,as well as reflect on its role in contemporary society.