Research On Protection Of Intangible Cultural Heritage At Autonomous Region Level In Xinjiang Based On The Perspective Of Cultural Geography

Intangible cultural heritage(ICH for short), as the basis and soul of Chinese ethnic cultures, renews a series of records of unique cultures, religions, traditional beliefs and philosophy of living among all ethnic regions, which breeds our future civilization. All kinds of ethnic intangible cultural heritage unite together to embody the diversity of ethnic cultures and integrity of human civilization. However, many intangible cultural heritages originated from specific historical periods gradually lose their living base under the condition of modernization, urbanization and globalization. As the old saying goes, ―With the skin gone, to what can the hair attach itself ?‖ Therefore, under this circumstance, governments all over the world are trying to take measures to save and protect common cultural memories and human treasures of different ethnics. The slogan ―Strengthen culture, retain memory, protect ICH, inherit classics‖has gradually become the focus and hot spot people talk about.Taken 293 intangible cultural heritage projects at autonomous region level in Xinijang till 2015, 518 representative inheritors at autonomous region level and 91 institutions as protecting and inheritance base as the research objects, this thesis will be carried out from the perspective of cultural geography. Based on the software of ArcGIS and GeoDa, it will systematically analyze the overall spatial distribution arrangement and regional division of intangible cultural heritage projects in Xinjiang, spatial distribution of institutions as protecting and inheritance base, overall age structure of representative inheritors when identified, and group age structure of different types of projects. This thesis will make a possible attempt to explore the protection of intangible cultural heritage from the perspective of cultural geography.The research results are as follows. Firstly, intangible cultural heritage projects at autonomous region level shows an aggregated distribution on the whole, yet the concentrated distribution between different regions is unbalanced. The distribution areas are mainly Kashi, Urumqi city, counties(cities) affiliated to Yili prefecture, and Mongolian autonomous prefecture of Bayingolin, etc.. Secondly, the spatial distribution of intangible cultural heritage is closely related to that of indigenous peoples’ population in Xinjiang. To be specific, most intangible cultural heritage in northern Xinjiang chiefly belongs to Urumqi and counties(cities) affiliated to Yili prefecture where Kazak, Xibo, Ozbek, Daur, Tatar and Russian nationalities inhabit, while those in southern Xinjiang is spread in Kashi, Akesu and Mongolian autonomous prefecture of Bayingolin, where Uyghur nationality live, and those in eastern Xinjiang is characterized by Uyghur nationality as the main body combined with Han nationality as well. With cluster distribution between different regions, ethnic features and regional variations are remarkable. Thirdly, the institutions as protecting and inheritance base are mainly distributed at the surrounding counties of Urumqi, Korla, Yining and Hotan. Yet the protecting and inheritance projects do not cover all types of intangible cultural heritage exhaustively. In addition, judging from overall age structure of representative inheritors, they are older as a whole. Due to the impact of modern life style, population of inheritors has the tendency of declining, and there are not enough inheritors of intangible cultural heritage. Judging from group age structure of different types of projects, the average age of inheritors for traditional craftsmanship and practical projects is younger, while that for folk literature is older.Based on spatial distribution discipline of intangible cultural heritage projects and institutions as protecting and inheritance base, this thesis will propose scientifically and strictly protection and inheritance strategies for intangible cultural heritage at autonomous region level aimed at realistic problems currently encountered. To begin with, strengthen maintenance and recycling for cultural space in inheritance areas relying on festivals and custom activities, education and tourism, and modern media. Secondly, make productive protection through moderate tourism development pattern and marketization of intangible cultural heritage products. Thirdly, intensify inheritors’ training and expand the heritage team, identify and build protecting and inheritance base for intangible cultural heritage positively, forming the ―spot-line-area‖ full coverage of three-dimensional protection situation. Fourthly, construct cultural ecological protection areas as a whole to protect intangible cultural heritage positively based on current spatial distribution discipline of intangible cultural heritage from the light of cultural ecology so as to explore and realize sustainable inheritance of intangible cultural heritage.