community empowerment as an approach to heritage conservation · beitou borough in taipei city,...

1

Community empowerment

as an approach to

heritage conservation:

Wentsung Den

PhD student, Dept. of Archaeology,

,University of York, UK

the experience of Beitou borough

in Taipei City, Taiwan

2

Content

1 Introduction

2 Heritage story: community-empowering

approach to heritage conservation in

Beitou, Taipei

3 Heritage, history and identity

4 The comparison of two perspectives on

heritage conservation

5 Conclusion

3

1 Introduction

(1) Community participation in heritage

conservation:

The role of laymen in a professional field.

(2) Study topics:

‧ the role of community in heritage

conservation and their relation with

professionals

‧ the comparisons between expert-centered

and community-empowerment approach

from Beitou experience.

4

2 Heritage story Beitou borough in Taipei City, Taiwan

Background -1

˙Famous for its hot spring resources and

natural scenery

5

2 Heritage story

Background -2

˙The hot spring industry was developed during the

Japanese colonial period(1895-1945) and some privately-

owned hot spring hotels also provide sex services.

6

2 Heritage story

Background -3

˙Such hot spring industry with sex services continued

after Japanese left(1945) and reached its peak around the

Korean(1950-53) and Vietnam Wars.(1955-75)

7

2 Heritage story Background -4

˙ After the abolishment of sex services in 1979,

Beitou suffered a long period of depression from

historic stigma.

˙ The number of hot

spring hotels decreased

from about 100 to 10.

8

The turning point: heritage campaign

˙Until 1995, local people re-recognized the pride

of Beitou through heritage conservation which

was initiated by schoolchildren to save a derelict

colonial complex of public baths.

˙ The public baths were designated as historical

sites in 1997 but it’s not the end but the start

of the

formation

of heritage.

9

Before designation 1

10


11

The public baths in Japanese colonial era 1 (1913)

12


13

The public baths in Japanese colonial era 4

14


15


16


17

After renovation 1 (in 1998) Local people deeply involved.

18


19


20


22

The involvement of community

˙Local people deeply involve in all the affairs related to

the planning, design and renovation of the historical

building.

˙With the help of experts, they wish they can revitalize

and manage the Beitou Public Baths as a community

museum by themselves.

˙They further connect other local cultural resources and

heritage with it to

develop a eco-museum

network.

23

The revitalization of heritage 1 ˙The public baths was transferred into a public-private

partnership community museum, and became a hot

cultural tourism spot after renovation.

24

The revitalization of heritage 2 ˙ The museum play as a starting point to branch out

and explore more of the local rich cultural, historical

and natural heritage.

25

The revitalization of heritage 3 ˙ The heritage site serve as a community center for

people to participate various activities and to enjoy

themselves.

26

The revitalization of heritage 3

˙The establishment of community cultural, historical

tourism and heritage network.

27

The multiple benefits for the

regeneration of Beitou -1 ˙Local people no more felt embarrassed about the past

and started to be proud of their

homeland through

participation in

heritage conservation

and revitalization.

28


regeneration of Beitou -2

˙the museum effectively stimulated local industries and

tourism to enhance their services

29

Cultural Tourism promotion

30

International cultural exchange

31

International cultural exchange

32


regeneration of Beitou 3

˙The experience of community engagement with heritage

recognition, revitalization and management inspired

people to actively participate in other community issues

and to build their vision of Beitou.

33


regeneration of Beitou 4

˙Through the exploration of local heritage by

community empowerment, heritage functioned as

catalyst to lead a community towards sustainable

development,

to revitalize local industry,

to stimulate the community consciousness, and to

reshape local identity.

The image of Beitou is positively improved and

promoted.

34

Two types of heritage in Beitou

◆ The top-down, expert-centered type of heritage

◆ The bottom-up, community-empowerment type

of heritage

35

Top-down heritage Stone archway of Qing dynasty (Est. 1861, designated

in 1985)

36

Stone archway of Qing dynasty

◆ Original Chinese artefact which set up in 1861 to

praise a moral woman who did not remarry after her

husband died in her youth and raised her children

by herself.

◆ It was designated as monument for its historic

and political interest in 1985. However, this stone

archway seems forgotten by most of the local

people in their daily lives.

37

Bottom up heritage

38

Beitou hot spring museum

◆ A Colonial Japanese building which was built

in 1913 and was previously going to be dismantled

but at last was saved by the local people.

◆ Most local people appreciate and are proud of

this historic building. It become the vivid image of

Beitou.

39

3 Heritage and Identity ◆ Heritage related to Identity.

◆ Identity relates to who we think we are

and what we want to conserve as heritage

in our lives.

◆ Identity has close connection to history.

40

3 Heritage, History and Identity -1

Before 1895

Japan Qing Dynasty

Taiwan

illegal Immigrants

Aboriginal people

★

Beijing

41

3 Heritage , History and Identity -2

Japan ruled Taiwan Between 1895 and 1945

Japan Qing Dynasty

Taiwan

42


Qing Dynasty was overthrew and the Public of China

was established in 1911

Japan

The Public of China

(R.O.C)

Taiwan

43


Taiwan was returned to the jurisdiction of the Public

of China in 1945 (after the end of WWⅡ).

Japan

The Public of China

(R.O.C)

Taiwan

44

3 Heritage , History and Identity -5 R.O.C was defeated by Communist Party of China

(P.R.C) and fled to Taiwan in 1949.

The People’s Republic of China

(P.R.C)

The Public of China

(R.O.C) Taiwan

KMT party

45

The poltical context and devolution

of heritage politics in Taiwan Political context

˙Intentionally

eradicate the

legacy of Japanese

colonizers before

after

46

The political context in Taiwan

Cultural counter-attact

Cultural revolution vs. Cultural Renaissance

47

The poltical context and devolution of heritage

adminstration Taiwan

Political context

˙Privilege Han Chinese (upper) culture and ignore local

Taiwanese ( lower ) culture and history

before after

48

3 Heritage and Identity

China

(dominant culture)

Taiwan

Japan

(Colonial legacy)

Aboriginal culture Local culture

49


Political dilemma

˙A state without nationhood

˙The Taiwanization of the R.O.C regime

before after disappear

50


˙The historic plan to rebuild national

identity --- commune of life of the New

Taiwanese

˙Community empowerment program aka

Holistic community building

Community

51


The devolution of Heritage power

˙ Revise the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act to

authorize local governments the power of heritage

designation.

˙ A trend of

‘democratization’

of heritage

52

Heritage (particular

objects reviewed and

selected from the past )

Knowledge production

(values) Investigation

Experts & Authority

Education Safeguarding

Community People

The top-down model of historical heritage

53

The bottom-up model of cultural heritage

Artifact

Historical building

Landscape

Environment

Social relations

Sense of place

Tradition

Empowerment

Experts

Local People heritage

Knowledge or

technique service

Meanings

Inspiring / supporting

Daily life

Collective

Memories

Experience

Stories

A cyclic cultural and social process (exploration, designation, renovation, revitalization, empowerment)

54

The comparison of two approaches -1

Type Historical heritage Cultural heritage

Time Past Everyday life

Present

Nature Static Evolving

55



Criteria Objective

values

Collective

meanings

Idea Historical

evidences

Cultural

citizenship

56



Subject Static objects Evolving Process

Means Conservation

Empowerment

Approach Top-down Bottom-up

57


Type

Historical heritage Cultural heritage

Principle Conserve as found Empowering by

participation

Base Expert-based Community-based

Experts’

Role Guide Facilitator

People’s

access to

heritage

Limited Full

58

Conclusion

˙There might exist different types of heritage.

˙ Heritage might be not only a born, isolated

object which is solely decided by experts or

authorities,

˙ on the other hand, it could also be a made,

interactive process in which people gradually

recognize its meaning.

˙ It seems worthy to notice such differences

when one engaged in community heritage.

59

Thank you for your attention

The End

61

Chronicle of events 1861 The setting up of stone archway of Qing dynasty

1895 The development of hot spring industry

1950-75 The hot spring industry with sex service

reached its peak

1979 The abolishment of sex industry in Beitou

1985 The heritage designation of stone archway

1995 The petition to save Beitou Public Baths

1997 The heritage designation of Beitou Public Baths

1998 The opening of Beitou Hot Spring Museum

62

3 Heritage , History and Identity The difference between two sides

The People’s Republic of China

(P.R.C)

The Public of China

(R.O.C) Taiwan

‧Communism

‧Totalitarianism

‧Traditional soc.

‧ Censorship

‧ No freedom of

speech

Ect.

‧Capitalism

‧ Democracy

‧Civil society

‧ Freedom of

speech

‧ FB Ect.

63

Sense of place The illegal settlement

of military veterans

64

Sense of place The illegal settlement

of military veterans

65

History of people The former brothel

66

Collective memory The residences of

Japanese officers

community empowerment as an approach to heritage conservation · beitou borough in taipei city,...

Documents