Anthropological Survey Of Xiangtan Betel Nut Culture

Hunan Xiangtan regions is the birthplace of edible betel nut in modern Chinese inland areas, betel nut processing good here, with a wide audience, and contains a strong betel nut culture. Transmitted by the Hainan betel nut Xiangtan, it has experienced hundreds of years of heritage and development, which has a way of eating betel origin and production process and obvious difference, especially since the reform and opening up, Xiangtan betel nut industry has developed rapidly and become ten billion big industry, has attracted worldwide attention, the corresponding betel nut culture has been developing rapidly. In 2007, the betel nut culture even be included in the first batch of intangible cultural heritage of Xiangtan City.In this paper, Xiangtan betel nut is for the study, from the perspective of cultural anthropology, to carry out a comprehensive study of economics, history, sociology, trying to explore the deeper cultural connotation of Xiangtan betel nut. The authors retrospectively betel nut culture historical origin on the basis through the betel nut Xiangtan in Hunan region of its production process, sales network construction, consumer demand and the customs and cultural dimensions of study, explores the symbolic meaning of betel implies, explores the betel nut as for sharing the cultural influence of culture on the local economic and cultural generated.This article is from three main aspects to introduce the culture of betel nut, betel nut processing, respectively, including culture, consumer culture and cultural rituals. Changes in working culture in which major historical heritage and family workshops processing taboos, innovation and development of enterprise-scale processing, processing technology introduces three Xiangtan betel nut processing industry in past lives, and gave details of modern edible betel nut production and processing processes. Discussion of betel nut consumption culture speaking from Genesis, article sorted out consumption value and symbolic value from the betel nut consumption status quo. Consumption value include the use value, and medicinal purposes casual snacks; symbolic value, namely as a luxury, representing the identity and status. Meanwhile, the chapter also summarizes the social impact of customs, market, communication and other factors of Xiangtan betel nut consumption.Customs introduces the betel nut culture functions and applications in social interaction in various rituals. In social interaction, betel nut will help strengthen links between networks of acquaintances, help expand individual social networks, social interaction is conducive to resolve the contradiction. The application in the ceremony, and include festivals, weddings and customs. Finally, article also introduced the cultural relations between betel nut and love.