Wang Qinghua, a research fellow with the Institute of Ethnology of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, has devoted himself to ethnological study for 19 years in Yunnan, a Southwest China province, which is home to 26 ethnic groups. His long years? researches on the terrace culture of the Hani people -- one of the ethnic minorities, have resulted in two books: Concerning the Terrace Culture published by Yunnan University Press, and Sculptured Mountains by Taiwan Land Publishing House. With a population of 1.25 million, the Hani people live in southern Yunnan, in the valleys between the Honghe and Lancang rivers and the vast area between the Ailao and Wuliang mountains.
The following is an interview by china.org.cn staff reporter Shao Da with Wang Qinghua.
Q: The provincial government is determined to develop Yunnan into a tourist province and it hosts an international tourism festival annually. Has the booming tourism done any damage to the original ethnic resources?
A: This is a very important issue, and probably the biggest dilemma we are facing today. As a matter of fact, tourist development not only strongly influenced the local culture and people?s lifestyles, but also greatly changed the ecological environment. For instance, in Lijiang, the construction of a golf course, a cableway and a large number of hotels and mountain villas has altered or even damaged the natural scenery. Due to the increasing number of visitors, for example, the famous Yulong Snowy Mountain is thawing. As the tourism industry can create colossal economic benefits, numerous scenic spots have been developed at the expense of local culture, which is exactly the base of tourism. To sacrifice an ethnic culture for the sake of tourism is no different from killing the goose that lays golden eggs.
In this regard, Xishuangbanna inhabited by the Dai people has set a good example. The healthy and sustained development of tourism in this area has greatly benefited from the appropriate measures adopted by the local government, which protect both the Dai culture and the ecological environment, including the virgin forests.
In fact, how to preserve local culture while developing tourism has aroused the attention of both ethnologists and governments at all levels. For example, in terms of how to preserve the Lijiang Old Town, an international conference was convened in Lijiang last year, with the participation of scholars and experts from over 100 countries and regions. In my opinion, the preservation of local cultures is the guarantee of sustained development of tourism.. In other words, tourism industry should be based on absorbing and making use of ethnic resources rather than doing any damage to them; otherwise the booming situation of tourism will not last long.
Q: What is the relationship between tourism and ethnology?
A: Yunnan provincial government is planning to develop tourism into a pillar industry. In this respect, ethnological studies are of particular importance. For example, each year the Yunnan Ethnic Cultures Village in Kunming attracts millions of tourists from home and abroad. In terms of ethnic costumes, traditions, lifestyles, etc., ethnological researchers made great contributions to the building of the village. Since ethnical cultures have evolved in different ecological environments, the Institute of Ethnology of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences is working on a project relating to the interaction of tourism and ecological culture in areas inhabited by different ethnical minorities in Yunnan. In addition, ethnological researchers often help travel agencies in selecting tour routes and scenic spots. We also write stories to introduce ethnical cultures, history, religion and customs in tourism magazines.
In my opinion, to keep the sustained growth of tourism in Yunnan, besides regulating the industry?s management, policy makers should draw up plans to further develop the rich ethnic resources and put our ethnological studies into practice.
Q: What is the current situation of ethnological research in Yunnan?
A: There are various ethnological research institutes in Yunnan, such as the Department of Anthropology of Yunnan University; Yunnan Institute for Nationalities (YIN); and the Institute of Ethnology of Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences. In addition, corresponding institutes of ethnology have been set up in all prefectures. With a strong contingent of research personnel and a complete system of research institutes, ethnological study in Yunnan has been very fruitful. It is particularly helpful for the provincial government to formulate policies towards ethnic minorities.
By carrying on the historical tradition of making local chronicles and following the example of the comprehensive investigation made in the 1950s, ethnological researchers in Yunnan have focused on ethnographical studies. Among the many renown ethnographers are Fang Guoyu and Jiang Yingliang, who, together with others, have made Yunnan strong in traditional ethnography and ethnic history studies.
Meanwhile, we must admit that theoretical study is still relatively weak in Yunnan?s ethnological research. Since China?s reform and opening-up, Western theories of ethnological and anthropological research have flooded in. Foreign researchers? quick conclusions from their investigations often give us shocks. Obviously, compared with ours, their methodology is more effective and practical. Western ethnology has a two-way influence on us. Methodologically, rather than making a general and wide- range investigation as we do, they often choose a community, a village, even a family as a sample and make long-term tracking to get a great number of firsthand observations. Theoretically, they have set up a series of cultural models. In stead of mechanically copying, regardless of specific conditions, they use these models to make a comparison to find out the similarities and differences of individual cases.
In the 1950s, after the founding of the People?s Republic of China, in support of the nationwide differentiation of ethnic minorities, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission organized experts and scholars to make an extensive investigation on all the ethnic groups living in Yunnan. Research materials produced from that investigation are still used by ethnologists today. Many researchers who had participated in the survey continued to stay in Yunnan after this investigation, working either on scientific research or on ethnological teaching, which laid a solid foundation for ethnology?s development in Yunnan.
On the other hand, I want to point out that Yunnan?s ethnology has benefited greatly from the Southwest Associated University. In the 1940s during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, many renowned anthropologists and ethnologists, such as Xiang Da, Fei Xiaotong, etc., came to Yunnan. They ran newspapers and magazines and trained ethnological personnel at the Southwest Associated University, which exerted a significant influence upon the initial development of ethnology in Yunnan.
By the late 1980s, a well-staffed ethnological contingent had been built up in Yunnan. Those relevant institutes, including the Department of History at Yunnan University, the Yunnan Academy of Ethnic Studies at Yunnan Institute for Nationalities (YIN), and the Graduate School of Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, were further augmented with more and more returned overseas ethnological scholars and graduates from Central University for Nationalities (CUN), Zhongshan University and Xiamen University joining in since the 1990s.
Q: Is there anything like the brain-drain within the ethnological circles in Yunnan?
A: As a matter of fact, despite the impact of market economy, serious brain- drain has never occurred in Yunnan. Basically, it is the rich ethnological resources and well-preserved primary cultural patterns that enormously appeal to those who are interested in ethnology. On the one hand, Yunnan is the home of 26 ethnic groups and of hundreds of ethnic offshoots. On the other hand, due to poverty and backwardness over a long period of time as well as bad geological conditions (for instance, 20 years ago there were no highways in many areas hidden the mountains), many ethnic groups have had their original lifestyle and primary cultural patterns very well preserved. As an ethnologist in Yunnan, one is duty-bound to do two things. First, one should devote himself to ethnological studies covering cultural phenomena, history of social development, etc. Second, naturally, he or she would expect that his research could benefit the local people, helping them shake off poverty. By and large, Yunnan is a place of good geomantic omen for ethnological studies. So far, I have not seen any reason for us to worry about the issue of brain-drain.
Q: You just mentioned the impact of market economy. Will you please tell us more about the influence of the powerful commodity economy on ethnological studies?
A: Before the 1980s, under the planned economy system, it was the government who assigned research tasks; therefore, researchers, who were granted with sufficient funds and good working conditions, were able to concentrate on field investigations and monographic studies. However, entering the 1990s, with the reduction of research funds, ethnologists have been forced to get themselves more and more involved into social activities aiming at profitable investment.
In our institute, researchers used to focus their studies on individual ethnic groups. As academic researches are forced to follow the rule of a market economy, these scholars are confronted with increasing pressure. For instance, in present circumstances, to raise funds, an expert on the Dai people has to give up his personal study at least temporarily and works on a topic that is totally irrelevant to the ethnic group he is familiar with. Consequently, unlike those senior scholars, the new generation of ethnological researchers is becoming ?pan-professionalized.? Instead of going deeply into a specific area, they often make a cursory study of different ethnic groups in preparation for any unforeseen projects. I believe we should get out of this dilemma as soon as possible; otherwise, in the long run, it would be extremely harmful for the studies of ethnology.
Q: Are there international cooperative projects in Yunnan?s ethnological study?
A: There has been quite a lot of international cooperation in Yunnan?s ethnological studies. For instance, at present, India and the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences are working together on two big topics: management of water resources in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities in Yunnan, and Yunnan?s historical role in the Sino-Indian relationship. The Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences and Chiang Mai University, Thailand, are collaborating on the origination of the Dai people. Two projects -- traditional measures to preserve forests in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities in Yunnan and the female knowledge system relating to bearing -- are taken up jointly by the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. Besides, the Institute of East Asian Film and TV Anthropology, Yunnan University, is collaborating with the Institute of Science Education Films in Goettingen, Germany, on the possibility to address ethnological issues by means of film and television.
(china.org.cn by Shao Da, July 16, 2002)
