Integrated conservation of the tangible and the intangible heritage : the architectural and musical heritage of the Zhihua Temple, Beijing

Abstract

UNESCO’s The Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) essentially only involved Tangible Heritage, and “intangible heritage” were still unfamiliar words to the public. Until 1990s, architectural conservators started thinking that life traditions should be valued and preserved as well. Later, in 1994, the Nara Document on Authenticity emerged. Based on the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, which aimed in ‘conserving and restoring monuments to safeguard them no less as works of art than as historical evidence, the Nara Document expanded the scope of conservation and stated that “all cultures and societies are rooted in the particular forms and means of tangible and intangible expression which constitute their heritage, and these should be respected.” In 2003, The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was established. In fact, different guidelines from Convention in 1972 also directed conservation project for Intangible heritage even after the emergency of the Convention in 2003. Does it really work? If the approaches for tangible heritage can also work on intangible heritage, how to understand the purpose of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage? The Zhihua Temple (智化寺) is chosen as the research site because it is valued for both tangible and intangible elements. It is located at the Lumicang Lane, Beijing. It was built by a powerful eunuch as an ancestral hall in Ming Dynasty and can still represent the architectural style in Ming Dynasty. Meanwhile, it is also famous for an intangible element - the Buddhist Music, which is inherited in the temple through hundred years. By researching its history, including previous conservation projects, and assessing heritage values of both tangible and intangible elements, whether the Zhihua Temple has been conserved properly can be figured out. This dissertation will discuss about whether all previous conservation approaches followed the disciplines of conservation, for instance, reversible additions and distinguishable material. This dissertation will also identify facing issues of the temple based on current survey. This dissertation will not cover every aspect of the Zhihua Temple, but focus on the conservation approaches of both tangible and intangible elements. Moreover, should tangible and intangible heritage be conserved separately or entirely? If they are conserved together, will there be any contradictions between them?