Cultural History of Chinese Heritage: Authenticity in a Changing China

This talk discusses various ideas and practices related to cultural heritage in Imperial China, particularly its association with the notion of authenticity. Emperors inherited, collected and displayed sacred bronzes and vessels from previous dynasties to legitimise the continuity of their power. 11th-century literati studied antiques aiming to return to Confucianism in search of China's glorious past. Buddhist monks preserved sacred objects and scriptures in temple libraries while copying Sutra as daily religious practices. These examples show that heritage practices related to built heritage, material collections, and religious practices do not merely focus on originality and material authenticity but also refer to plural intentions and attitudes towards the past. The use of heritage can contribute to various meanings of authenticity as associated with aesthetic appreciation, knowledge transmission, political legitimisation, and the pursuit of eternity. These heritage practices and interpretations of authenticity have deep roots in Chinese thought – the relationship between body, mind and objects, for instance – and reflect a history of spiritual and moral validation and affirmation in a changing China.