Cultural heritage has become a central issue in Chinese political rhetoric since the beginning of the 1960s. Initially, this discourse was centred on socialist and revolutionary ideology, but a paradigmatic shift has occurred since the late 1980s. The cultures of ethnic minorities began to be considered and used to promote narratives about harmony and unity in Chinese society. This has led to the emergence of the protection of a specific category of buildings: “ancient tombs” 古墓. Amongst these burials, various historical or legendary figures have acquired the status of heroes of the nation through institutionalised sanctification. They were previously used as sites of “popular religion” and were often labelled as “illegal” 非法宗教 or “superstitious” 迷信 by the Chinese authorities, but they are now being reclaimed through patrimonialisation. This raises the question of how practitioners –who use those places for religious purposes and who strive to find new ways to manage them within the context of political discourse– are received.

Launched in October 2015, this four-year doctoral research project has explored how different agents appropriate and use heritage to compete in specific power scenarios. These heritage discourses and practices are approached as defining specific political arenas within which power relations are reconfigured. The project combines (a) a discourse analysis of the policies, regulations, and decrees promulgated by the Chinese authorities on cultural heritage and religion; and (b) a study of Guangzhou (Guangdong Province) and Quanzhou (Fujian Province), where three important Muslim tombs have been recognised and classified as national cultural heritage sites.  

These two approaches involve an analysis of how heritage is produced, identified, and valued within a specific logic and value system. Cultural heritage comprises different fields of forces and dynamics, where political actors, stakeholders, and commoners engage in an ongoing discourse of re-negotiation. The project highlight the changes between state, society, and religion.

This research is led by Prof. Samuel Guex in collaboration with Dr. Florence Graezer-Bideau (EPFL, Lausanne).

For more information please contact the project's main researcher Pascale Bugnon.

Publications

BUGNON Pascale, 2022, « L’émergence du « patrimoine musulman » en Chine. Quelques réflexions sur les enjeux d’une catégorie non formulée. Suivi de « Listes du patrimoine musulman en Chine au niveau national » (1961-2019), in: Blog scientifique de l’Institut Confucius de l’Université de Genève (en relecture).

BUGNON Pascale, 2022, “Heritage Diplomacy along the Maritime Silk Roads: The Case of Muslim Sites in Southern China”, in: The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (sous presse).

BUGNON Pascale, 2022, « L’art d’accommoder les ancêtres de la nation. Analyse du processus patrimonial musulman en Chine (1961-2013) », thèse de doctorat en études asiatiques, Faculté des Lettres de l’Université de Genève. Lien permanent: https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:159438

BUGNON Pascale, 2020, “Local Muslims in Baiqi (Fujian Province): Between Chinese and Muslim Culture”, Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue along the Ancient Silk Roads: Religious Influences on Cultural Heritage Sites, 26-29 septembre 2019, Hamadan (Iran), UNESCO (sous presse).

BUGNON Pascale, 2020, « A la rencontre de l’islam en terres chinoises : échanges, transfert et emprunts le long des Routes maritimes de la soie », Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue along the Ancient Silk Roads: Religious Influences on Cultural Heritage Sites – Atlas interactif, UNESCO (sous presse).

BUGNON, Pascale, 2019. "Religious blending along the Maritime Silk Roads : the case of Muslim's descendants in Baiqi village (Quanzhou City, China)". In: Unesco Intercultural and interfaith dialogue along the Ancient Silk Roads. Hamedan (Iran). 13 p. https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:156041

BUGNON Pascale, 2019, “Reflecting on Muslim Diversity in China”, in : Blog scientifique de l’Institut Confucius de l’Université de Genève. URL: https://ic.unige.ch/?p=1335.

BUGNON Pascale, 2019, « Négociations territoriales et identitaires au Xinjiang (Chine) : le cas de la patrimonialisation des tombeaux musulmans », in : Autrepart  84, pp. 161-175.

BUGNON Pascale, 2018, « Reflecting on Muslim Heritage Monument: The Case of Sa’ad ibn Waqqas’ Mausoleum in Guangzhou », in : Historical Monuments & Modern Society, Conference Papers, Shanghai University, December 1-2.

BUGNON Pascale, 2018, « L’art d’accommoder les ancêtres de la nation. Analyse du patrimoine culturel musulman en Chine », Tsantsa, n°23 , pp.99-103.

BUGNON, Pascale, 2018. "'Memory from beyond the grave' : the revitalization of Muslim mausoleum of Sa'id ibn Waqqas in Guangzhou". In: Heritage across borders. Hangzhou (China). 12 p. p. https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:157117

BUGNON Pascale, 2017, « Reflecting on Heritage and Religion in Xinjiang : The Case of Muslim Shrines », in: History, Culture, and Society, VASILIEV Dimitri (ed.), Almaty, Dom “MIR”, pp. 75-93.

BUGNON Pascale, 2016, « L’art d’accommoder les ancêtres de la nation. Analyse du processus patrimonial en Chine à travers la catégorie des "tombes antiques" ». In Blog Scientifique de l’Institut Confucius, Université de Genève.

BUGNON, Pascale, 2015. La patrimonialisation des mausolées de saints musulmans au Xinjiang (Chine) : entre « resacralisation » nationale et persistance religieuse. Université de Genève. Master. https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:157829

Conference Presentations