Sinobabble
A relaxing, educational podcast covering China's modern history, current events, and academic analyses of China's politics, society, and culture in a variety of mini-series. Starting with the history of the 20th century, this podcast aims to explore all facets of the history of China, from the major events to the smallest local changes, to give you a full picture of the development of one of the world's most powerful nations. As the series develops, we will discuss Chinese art, religion, politics, culture, and economics, bringing the country's past to life. If you're more interested in modern China, stay tuned for the modern China series where we talk about how the CCP exercises control, makes people disappear, and encourages loyalty. We also get on the ground and talk to the people of Hong Kong about their recent experiences with the protests in the territory in 2019.
Sinobabble
Authenticity and the Disney-fication of China's Cultural Heritage
Why are so many cultural heritage sites in China fake? Why is the architecture all the same? And why does no one care that all these old towns were built in the past 20 years? Let's take a deep dive into the history of the cultural heritage industry in China, the role of the CCP party-state, the agency of local actors, and try and figure out why Chinese tourists love fake reconstructions of mini European villages in the middle of their megacities.
*Diary of the visit to Furong was in 2022 not 2002!!
#China #culturalheritage #unesco #culturalrevolution #chinesehistory #chinatourism
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(03:45) Attitudes to cultural heritage around the world
(06:45) The destruction of China's cultural heritage
(11:11) Reasons for rebuilding China's cultural heritage sites
(12:38) Defining authenticity
(17:00) Examples of Disney-fied heritage sites
(40:25) What tourists want
(44:45) Does authenticity matter?
Sign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442
Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/
Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod