Analysis of the Geographical Process of Culture: A Regional Study of Fujian Culture

Author: Lin Tuo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Whenever Min culture is mentioned, people often think of the Mazu belief renowned both at home and abroad, the Min monks who promoted the sinicization of Buddhism, and the Min Learning that dominated official ideology for 700 years. The Min culture has a vast direct influence, extending not only to Guangdong, Hainan, and Taiwan but also to Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. Moreover, as history evolves, it exhibits various unique regional forms, exerting different levels of influence on local cultural development. Therefore, Min culture is regarded as an important pillar in the process of East Asian civilization. However, when people narrow their focus to Fujian, the cradle of Min culture, they continuously discover a series of contradictory regional manifestations in the evolution of Fujian culture itself: people from different regions of Fujian deeply feel the severe differences in dialects and customs among themselves, yet once they leave Fujian, they exhibit common characteristics distinct from other provinces and regions, making it easy to form cultural identity. The belief in "witches and ghosts and the emphasis on (sacrifices to deities)" was considered a sign of Fujian culture's backwardness, yet even today, in highly developed times, folk beliefs in Fujian remain vigorous, with an average of one large temple or shrine for every 600 people. The influence of Buddhism is equally profound. According to surveys from a few years ago, of the more than 5,000 Han-Chinese Buddhist temples in the country, over 4,000 are in Fujian. Fujian was the first to experience the cultural confrontation between the "expanding, trade-warrior Western civilization" and the "agricultural-economic and bureaucratic political Chinese civilization." Amid this confrontation, new ideas continuously surge forward, while Fujian's inherent culture and conservative ideas possess a vitality no less than that of the interior. Indeed, Fujian culture's overall apparent consistency and severe internal regional differentiation stand in stark contrast yet coexist side by side. In cultural development, conservatism and openness, backwardness and advancement create abrupt contrasts yet are interdependent. The unique charm and depth of these numerous complex regional manifestations have attracted the attention of generations of scholars, with Fujian scholars achieving particularly outstanding results. Reviewing this academic exploration process not only helps us establish new research foundations but also provides a crucial reference coordinate for further investigation.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part 1: Regional Hierarchy and Cultural Centers—A Study Centered on Academic Forms
Part 2: Regional Differentiation and Cultural Cycles—A Study Centered on Belief Forms