Reconstruction of Tradition: Modernity,Tourism and Shaolin Martial Arts in the Shaolin Scenic Area,China

Abstract

This paper begins with an interpretation of how Shaolin martial arts were used to provide military service for imperial authorities before 1949, and how it was restricted and forbidden to practise in Mao’s era from 1949 to 1978. It then examines how UNESCO’s international heritage conventions and China’s post-1978 heritage policies have influenced the reconstruction of Shaolin martial arts and tourism development at the Shaolin Temple since 1978. It investigates the relationship between different agents and how they have influenced the reconstruction of traditional Shaolin martial arts and tourism development. This paper argues current Shaolin martial arts, known as Shaolin Kungfu, have been deliberately reconstructed to serve contemporary political and economic needs. Contemporary Shaolin Kungfu is, in fact, a product of the interaction between heritage authorization processes and tourism development. The reconstruction of Shaolin martial arts also demonstrates hierarchical relationships of power between these different actors. This has led to a situation in which ‘experts’ and local residents are positioned unequally. The overarching finding of this study is that Shaolin martial arts worked as a tool for Shaolin monks to develop the Shaolin Temple in history and Shaolin monks have assumed the role of ‘expert’ in reconstructing Shaolin martial arts.