Unequal Inscriptions of the Hungry Ghosts (Yulan) Festival Celebrations as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Hong Kong

doi:10.4000/chinaperspectives.14625

Study

Classic DesignRecentModerate effect

Cultural Heritage Designation Risks Homogenizing Dynamic Traditions

Formalizing cultural heritage can inadvertently freeze traditions into static representations, overlooking their evolving, hybrid, and individualistic nature.

China Perspectives · 2023

01

Key Findings

01Heritage inscription often relies on a 'fossilized imagination' of ethnic traditions, assuming homogeneity.
02Formal designations can exaggerate ethnic differences while understating integrated, diversified, and hybrid practices.
03Individual agency plays a significant role in negotiating and adapting traditions in response to institutionalized heritage frameworks.
04A gap exists between the lived practice of traditions and their institutionalized representation.

02

Application

Design takeaway

Avoid presenting cultural elements as monolithic; instead, explore and represent their diversity, evolution, and the individual agency involved in their practice.

How to apply

When designing products, services, or experiences that reference specific cultural traditions, research the lived practices and diverse interpretations of that tradition, not just its officially recognized form.

Project actions

01When researching a cultural aspect for your design project, look beyond official descriptions to understand how people actually use and adapt it.
02Consider how your design might inadvertently reinforce stereotypes if it only draws from a simplified, official version of a tradition.

03

Method & Evidence

AimHow does the formal designation of intangible cultural heritage impact the perception and practice of dynamic cultural traditions?

MethodQualitative analysis of heritage inscription processes and ethnographic observation.

ProcedureThe study examined the official inscription of the Yulan Festival in Hong Kong as intangible cultural heritage, analyzing the discourse and criteria used. It also observed how individuals and groups practice and negotiate the festival in relation to these designations.

ContextCultural heritage management and ethnic studies in Hong Kong.

Variables

IVFormal heritage inscription process

DVPerception and practice of cultural traditions

CVSpecific cultural festival (Yulan), geographical location (Hong Kong)

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Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Highlights the tension between official recognition and lived experience.
+Emphasizes the role of individual agency in cultural practice.

Limitations

The study's focus on one festival in one city might limit its broad applicability.

Reliability & validity

The study's validity relies on the interpretation of discourse and ethnographic observation, which can be subjective. Reliability would depend on consistent application of analytical frameworks.

Think critically

To what extent does the desire for preservation inherently conflict with the natural evolution and adaptation of cultural practices?

05

Design Principles

"Embrace the fluidity and hybridity of cultural expressions in design, rather than relying on static or idealized representations."

Designers often engage with cultural elements, whether for branding, product design, or user experience. Understanding how heritage is inscribed and the potential for this process to simplify complex realities is crucial for authentic and respectful design.

06

What This Means for Your Design

When we try to officially save a tradition, we sometimes make it seem simpler and more unchanging than it really is, ignoring how people actually change and mix traditions in their daily lives.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify your approach to incorporating cultural elements, explaining why you chose to represent diversity and evolution rather than a single, static form.

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Add to My Project

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Quick Cite

(2023). Unequal Inscriptions of the Hungry Ghosts (Yulan) Festival Celebrations as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Hong Kong. China Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.4000/chinaperspectives.14625 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/e5b2c3b9-e3a8-4780-9bc7-d5b7dfa603ca/cultural-heritage-designation-risks-homogenizing-dynamic-traditions

Paragraph starter

The formal inscription of cultural traditions as heritage can lead to an oversimplified and static representation, failing to capture the dynamic, hybrid, and individualistic ways in which these traditions are practiced and evolve. This research highlights the importance of acknowledging the gap between institutionalized heritage and lived cultural experience, urging designers to move beyond monolithic portrayals and embrace the complexity of cultural expression.

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Source

China Perspectives

Unequal Inscriptions of the Hungry Ghosts (Yulan) Festival Celebrations as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Hong Kong

journal · 2023

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about cultural heritage designation risks homogenizing dynamic traditions?: Avoid presenting cultural elements as monolithic; instead, explore and represent their diversity, evolution, and the individual agency involved in their practice. Evidence: China Perspectives (2023).
Why does "Cultural Heritage Designation Risks Homogenizing Dynamic Traditions" matter for design?: Designers often engage with cultural elements, whether for branding, product design, or user experience. Understanding how heritage is inscribed and the potential for this process to simplify complex realities is crucial for authentic and respectful design.
How can designers apply this research?: Avoid presenting cultural elements as monolithic; instead, explore and represent their diversity, evolution, and the individual agency involved in their practice.
What were the main findings?: Heritage inscription often relies on a 'fossilized imagination' of ethnic traditions, assuming homogeneity.. Formal designations can exaggerate ethnic differences while understating integrated, diversified, and hybrid practices.. Individual agency plays a significant role in negotiating and adapting traditions in response to institutionalized heritage frameworks.. A gap exists between the lived practice of traditions and their institutionalized representation.
What research method was used?: Qualitative analysis of heritage inscription processes and ethnographic observation..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from China Perspectives.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing products, services, or experiences that reference specific cultural traditions, research the lived practices and diverse interpretations of that tradition, not just its officially recognized form.
What are the limitations?: The findings are specific to the Yulan Festival in Hong Kong and may not be directly generalizable to all forms of intangible cultural heritage or all cultural contexts.
Is there evidence that cultural affects design outcomes?: The formal process of recognizing cultural traditions as heritage can oversimplify them by treating them as fixed and uniform, ignoring the fluid, mixed, and individual ways people actually engage with these traditions. Designers often engage with cultural elements, whether for branding, product design, or user experie Source: China Perspectives (2023).
Where does this cultural heritage research apply?: Cultural heritage management and ethnic studies in Hong Kong. It sits within classic design research on designdex.org.