Cultural Symbols, Hidden In The Memory

Intangible cultural heritage is human's great wisdom and spiritual wealth. As indispensable part of the Chinese nation, Miao creates brilliant culture in the past thousands of years, including huge intangible cultural heritage. Rich in connotations, it carries human's intelligence, everlasting vitality and is seen as the national shared wealth. However, most of it is unknown owing to its profundity, Badai culture is just one case in point.Badai is the Miao Priest, known by other groups as so-called "witch", inevitably viewed as superstition by people who have shallow perception on nature, man and society due to limited objective conditions in ancient times, and then its unique connotations and significance are unrevealed.By now, Badai in Miao areas enjoys a pretty high prestige rather than despise though it is described as "witch". It shows up everywhere in Miao villages at an individual's critical moments concerning being born, sick, or dead, not let alone splendid national events. Badai culture has run for history long via countless generations'"oral lecturing, rote learning"; it is self-contained, extensive and profound. In the special no written records context, Badai culture serves as a bond getting through Miao's history as well as the key to unlock the mystery of its development.Symbolic Theory applies symbol to express, which is characteristic of "transcendence", metaphor and depth, carrying significance far beyond being the carrier itself. Intangible culture, especially that of China's minorities', calls for unconventional review as there is no written records. Badai's prestige, skills, inheriting features and the like, show its significance is far beyond being the carrier itself, more connotations hide behind. As culture connotation changes with background, how to promote Badai culture on its newly evolved meanings, value and potential in the globalization context remains an untouched field that requires research.With the questions in mind, the author takes the perspective of intangible cultural heritage, uses the theories of ethnology, anthropology, history, archaeology, art, linguistics, religion, philosophy, heritage protection science, human geography, applies the methodology of Symbolic Theory and Interpretation Theory, adopts the approaches of literature documenting, field survey, thus conducts a systematic study on Badai culture for an overall interpretation of its real connotation.The thesis insists Badai culture be reviewed as it contains elements on intangible cultural heritage. As a systematic cultural treasure with abundant capital reserves, its essence on pursuing peace and harmony is a spiritual incentive, to protect it is very crucial. The best and permanent policy is to integrate it into present to relive its vitality to serve harmony.Part One includes the Preface, Chapterâ… , Chapterâ…¡, and Chapterâ…¢, states Badai culture's status. The Preface gives the reasons, significance of the chosen topic; Chapterâ… offers key information in brief; Chapterâ…¡and Chapterâ…¢elaborates in details on "Badai Miao" and "Badai Han".Part Two, Chapterâ…£analyzes Badai culture's features, inheritance, origins and so on.Part Three, Chapterâ…¤interprets the elements in the system as the Buddhist implements, the altar, the sacrificial objects and other activities.Part Four, Chapterâ…¥explains the deep connotation from a broader perspective of context interpretation.Part Five, including Chapterâ…¦, Chapterâ…§, upon reflection of Badai culture's endangered status, explores the newly evolved meanings, its huge potentials and practical solutions to serve the modern society.The author resorts to the case study of Badai culture, to further promote people's awareness of spiritual connotation of national culture, thus to bring the heritage's tremendous potential into full play as well as to better preserve mankind's great spiritual treasure, which may ultimately contribute to the harmonious development of mankind.