A Comparative Study of Fanjingshan, Mount Wutai and Mount Taishan
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1 The cultural and spiritual values of nature in Chinese World Heritage Sites: A comparative study of Fanjingshan, Mount Wutai and Mount Taishan By Xindan Hu Registration No. 941113370080 MSc Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Wageningen University August 2019 Supervised by: Dr. B (Bas) Verschuuren, Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group 2 Abstract With the increasing awareness of the inseparable relationship between nature and culture in the World Heritage Convention, the cultural and spiritual values of nature start to be taken into account in the protection of World Heritage sites. According to the guidebook “Cultural and Spiritual Significance of Nature: Guidance for its role in Protected and Conserved Area Governance”, the cultural and spiritual values of nature can be classified into 7 types: Aesthetic-Perceptual or Scenic value; Recreational and therapeutic value; Artistic, traditional and contemporary value; Information, knowledge and educational value; Historical, ethnological value; Linguistic traditions, both written and oral value; Religious and spiritual value. To better understand the culture and spiritual values of nature of indigenous or local people in Chinese World Heritage sites, I analysed the official UNESCO World Heritage site documents to assess and compare their value types and the related management activities of three Chinese World Heritage sites: Fanjingshan, Mount Wutai and Mount Taishan. I analyzed the management of three sites using the biocultural approach. The results show that the management of Fanjingshan is most concerned about CSV through biocultural approach. While for Mount Wutai and Mount Taishan, the involvement of indigenous or local people in the management insufficiently meets the criteria of the biocultural approach. There are two common problems among the three sites. First, all management committees pay much attention to the cultural and spiritual values of all people in order to attract visitors. The cultural and spiritual values of indigenous or local people appear not to be given much importance in site management. Second, the notion of cultural and spiritual values included in the management plans is quite general without the use of classification and according management planning. In order to better protect the full spectrum of cultural and spiritual values of three sites, the role of indigenous or local people has to be further emphasized.This study recommends the integration of a value typology for cultural and spiritual values in site management as well as the application of the biocultural approach in their implementation. 3 Table of Content 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 5 Problem definition ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Objective and Research question .......................................................................................................... 7 Introductions of the research sites ........................................................................................................ 8 2. Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................................... 9 Cultural and spiritual values .................................................................................................................... 9 Biocultural diversity and Biocultural approach .............................................................................. 11 Conceptual framework .......................................................................................................................... 12 3. Research methodology ..................................................................................................................... 13 4. Data collection ..................................................................................................................................... 13 5. Results ..................................................................................................................................................... 15 General situation and management of three WHSs .................................................................... 15 The Aesthetic-Perceptual or Scenic value ....................................................................................... 16 The Recreational and therapeutic value .......................................................................................... 18 The Artistic, traditional and contemporary value .......................................................................... 19 The Information, knowledge and educational value ................................................................... 21 The Historical, ethnological value ...................................................................................................... 23 The Linguistic traditions, both written and oral value ................................................................. 26 The Religious and spiritual value ........................................................................................................ 27 The role of cultural and spiritual values ........................................................................................... 32 Analysis based on eight principles of biocultural approach ...................................................... 33 6. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 36 7. Discussion .............................................................................................................................................. 37 The relations to other research ........................................................................................................... 37 Discussion of the theoretical framework and research methodology ................................... 39 References .................................................................................................................................................. 40 Appendix 1 ................................................................................................................................................. 44 4 Outline of tables and figures Figure 1 Locations of the research sites .............................................................................................. 7 Figure 2 Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey .............................................................................................. 8 Table 1. One possible classification of values that make up the cultural and spiritual significance of nature in protected and conserved areas. ......................................................... 10 Table 2. The coded values based on Table 1 (Verschuuren et al. in press).......................... 14 Table 3.1 The Aesthetic-Perceptual or Scenic value of three WHSs as well as relevant governance and management ........................................................................................................................ 18 Table 3.2 The Recreational and therapeutic value of three WHSs as well as relevant governance and management ............................................................................................................ 19 Table 3.3 The Artistic, traditional and contemporary value of three WHSs as well as relevant governance and management ........................................................................................... 21 Table 3.4 The Information, knowledge and educational value of three WHSs as well as relevant governance and management ........................................................................................... 23 Table 3.5 The Historical, ethnological value of three WHSs as well as relevant governance and management .................................................................................................................................... 25 Table 3.6 The Linguistic traditions, both written and oral value of three WHSs as well as relevant governance and management ........................................................................................... 27 Figure 3 Pilgrim Trackway of North Terrace, Mount Wutai ....................................................... 28 Figure 4 Pilgrim Trackway of South Terrace, Mount Wutai ....................................................... 28 Figure 5 Stone steps of Mount Taishan ........................................................................................... 29 Table 3.7 The Religious and spiritual value of three WHSs as well as relevant governance and management .................................................................................................................................... 31 Table 4 The certain groups that influence the management plan of three sites ............... 33 5 1. Introduction Problem definition After World War I, the idea of creating an international movement for protecting heritage emerged. In 1972, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) developed the World Heritage Convention to bring such concept into official existence. The Convention aims to protect the World Heritage sites (WHSs) that have outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. Criteria (i) –