土司学面对申报世界遗产的研究取向

Research Orientation of Tusi Study within the Context of World Heritage Application

申报世界遗产是近二三十年出现的新事物,中国在这方面已积累丰富经验,为土司遗产申遗创造了良好条件。土司遗产申遗,最关键的是能从遗产本身发现其突出的普遍价值。在找寻突出的普遍价值过程中,一个多世纪的土司研究的盲点如"土司"一词语境不清等被呈现出来。正因为此,土司学有必要加快与国内外致力高原、山地、河谷、海岛社会治理研究的各学科对接的进程,以广泛分布于此"土司区"为视点解决土司研究的基础性问题,以服务于土司遗产申遗以及当今的国家与社会。

On November 1st,2011,a meeting related to the World Heritage application of the Yongshun Old Tusi Town was held in Hunan province. This indicated that the Hunan provincial leadership team of the Old Tusi Town World Heritage Application Office opened the door for the first time regard a World Heritage application related to the institution of tusi（ a native official in imperial China） heritage. Because it is just a beginning, there is need for more discussion on this tusi heritage site＇ s World Heritage application. This article tries to give some reflections on the present situation of World Heritage application work in China,the requirements for research on the tusi historical site within the context of the World Heritage application,and the deficiencies in the study of tusi heritage. Furthermore,it discusses the research orientation of tusi study within the context of ＂World Heritage application＂so that the tusi research can connect with the related studies in the rest of the world. Applying for World Heritage is a relatively new phenomenon. It was proposed after the establishment of the World Heritage Committee. The application activity began in the countries in North and South America,Africa and Europe,and then, gradually expanded to the countries in Asia,etc. Although China ＇ s World Heritage applications started late,the speed of inscription on the World Heritage list was dramatically fast. China now has already become the country with the second largest number of World Heritage sites. During the inscription process for the list of World Heritage sites,China has accumulated very rich experience,and has established a good foundation for making the tusi heritage ＇ s inscription on the world list strategically. When the local government unified their will to make an application for the tusi heritage site for World Heritage,the next task was to make an application for the heritage site to be included on the Tentative List of the State Cultural Relics Bureau. During this process,the government,who has the administrative and financial resources（ hereafter, the government side）,the Heritage Application Dossier Compilation team,who has the heritage application resources（ hereafter the compilation side）,and the research team,who has the research resources related to the study of tusi（ hereafter the research side） should not only cooperate closely,but also should form a fundamental knowledge of World Heritage applications and tusi study through the efforts of the three sides. During the application process for the tusi heritage site,the research findings of the research side should be- re- evaluated at the end by heritage application circles as well as circles of tusi study. They should comply with academic standards at the beginning of writing,and conduct their research according to the design of the compilation side. Before the inclusion on the Tentative List, the project design of the compilation side should obviously pay more attention to sorting out the historical facts related to the Old Tusi Town and tusi culture. And,before the inclusion on the Tentative List,the compilation side should firmly believe that the key（ to the application） is to identify the ＂value ＂of the Old Tusi Town. They state that the basic research is to collect systematically and sort out the information,and display its value. Thespecific research is to explain its value through categorization; and the comparative research is to distinguish the level and study the value thoroughly. Although the compilation side has different requirements in different stages,they always connected the historical Site of Old Tusi Town with the tusi,tusi system,tusi culture. In fact,it is the reality that if the historical site of the Old Tusi Town did not include ＂tusi,tusi system and tusi culture＂,it would only be an ordinary site among China＇ s ancient historical towns. Therefore,if we want the tusi heritage towns to achieve worldwide recognition, understanding, protection and research,it must not be separated from a complete display and clear description of the tusi system and deep research on its value. The connection of the tusi heritage site with the tusi,tusi system and tusi culture,as well as the discovery of its universal value could be regarded as a basic requirement of tusi study for the World Heritage application. From the beginning of the study of tusi in 1908,it has already gone through 106 years of history. This more than one century of research on the tusi has been divided into four periods,and each period has its own academic orientation. The first period is from 1908 to 1959,during which academic circles mainly did research on the traditional tusi system based on the reality of the time. The second period goes from 1960 to 1979, during which academic circles paid much attention to the reflection of traditional tusi system which serves the reality of the time. The third period is from 1980 to 1998,during which time the academic circles mainly reflected on the management level of the tusi,and provided commentary on the tusi systems of various ethnic groups,drew lessons from the experience and pushed tusi culture along an industrialized path. The fourth period is from 1999 to 2013,during which time research has been transformed from the study of tusi system to the material culture of the tusi. The former research on the tusi formed successively a research path of tusi,tusi system,tusi culture,and tusi political culture. However,there have been a lot of academic blind spots in tusi research. The main blind spots are ： 1） the context of the word of ＂tusi＂as well as its changes are not clear; 2） the imperial dynasties,when they managed the people in the high plateaus,mountainous regions,valleys and islands,used the terms ＂jimi＂,＂tusi＂,＂gaitu guiliu＂（ replacement of native officials with loyal appointed officials）,＂ethnic regional autonomy＂. However,the transformation and time differences are not clear; 3） The spatial changes of the tusi is not clear; 4） The distribution of tusi among the Han- Chinese,ethnic minorities including the fishing and hunting groups,farming groups and nomadic groups is not clear; 5） The distribution of the tusi or tusi phenomenon abroad is not clear; and 6） The connection between the lost tusi towns and tusi system as well as the outstanding universal value of tusi towns are not clear. As the classics of ethnic culture,tusi culture in the tusi area has a unique inherited way. Tusi study from the perspective of the ＂tusi zone ＂ should further clarify the concept of ＂region＂or ＂territory＂. In the context of＂tusi zone＂,the theory could become various research orientations,including the tusi social system,the structural function of tusi zone,its operation,cultural area,population,system and culture,power structure,tusi town etc. Only from the perspective of ＂tusi zone＂,can the outstanding universal value of tusi heritage be promoted,and provide new vitality to the theory of tusi study. Tusi heritage application,whether from the government side,or from the compilation side and research side,has put forward various new challenges. These challenges make the research side aware that there are a lot of blind areas regarding the research on the connection of the tusi historical site with the tusi,tusi system,and tusi culture as well as on the research of outstanding universal value. The research for the World Heritage application helps us to be aware not only of these ques-tions,but also be aware that we need to depend on the perspective of＂tusi zone＂to handle these basic issues. Finally,we must identify the outstanding universal value of tusi heritage.