To the Faraway: An Anthropologist's Pilgrimage: An Anthropologist's Pilgrimage

Author: Guo Jing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: It is believed that everyone can answer the meaning of "field," but the academic term "field research" is not a simple study of "fields, wilderness," but rather filled with unique cultural connotations. As the renowned Taiwanese anthropologist, Professor Li Yiyuan, pointed out: "Broadly speaking, all fieldwork can be called 'field research,' including social surveys, various questionnaire surveys, archaeological field excavations, and ethnographic investigations." Therefore, what is referred to as "cultural field research" primarily refers to the environment in which humans produce and live, as well as the processes and outcomes of production and life in such an environment. Culture is one of the important markers that define what it means to be human. In recent years, with the acceleration of globalization and modernization, although the world has become a "global village," cultural barriers still persist. Thus, the diversity of cultures and the collisions and integration between different ethnic cultures have made attention to culture, especially grassroots culture, increasingly important. Cross-cultural survival and cross-cultural thinking have become crucial themes of contemporary society. Many scholars have long been committed to cultural field research and hope to have the opportunity to express their cultural reflections and life insights from their fieldwork. Coincidentally, Guangxi People's Publishing House also shared the same publishing intentions. After communication and discussion, a series of "Cultural Field Visual Series" was eventually published.
The "Cultural Field Visual Series" adopts a (s) writing style, conveying cultural insights from fieldwork through a visually engaging format. While emphasizing factual details and vivid narratives, it also prioritizes concise and fluent writing. The treatment of images aims to use tangible design to express intangible language, seamlessly integrating visuals and text to achieve a perfect harmony of tradition and modernity. This series tells stories and shares experiences from fieldwork, documenting the people and events encountered during research. Its greatest strength lies in bringing people and objects from the field to life, making landscapes and emotions vivid. Readers not only hear the personal monologues of the researchers but also the voices of interviewees. They not only learn the results of the researchers' investigations but also witness the interactions and exchanges between researchers and interviewees during the fieldwork. This provides readers with rich cultural insights from the field and deep emotional resonance, allowing them to journey alongside the authors through the cultural landscape.
Given the rich and diverse content, we have divided the series into two main parts—Domestic and Overseas—each further subdivided into "Eastern" and "Western" for the domestic section. This structure gives rise to the interconnected series: "Cultural Field Visual Series: Western Fieldbooks," "Cultural Field Visual Series: Eastern Fieldbooks," and "Cultural Field Visual Series: Overseas Mirrors."
"With my feet as your eyes, with your heart as my heart, let us step into the field and feel the culture."
Travel has become a fashionable trend, giving rise to writing about human geography. This genre focuses on distant places, revealing the traveler's inner world in a state of wandering. The author of this book is an anthropologist, documentary filmmaker, and a pilgrim who seeks hidden wonders in the desert. For years, he has traveled through Yunnan, Tibet, Sichuan, and inland China, exploring the spirit of local cultures. To this end, he established an online travel-themed website, "Go to the Farthest Place," as his "sky city," and this book is the shadow cast by that sky city onto the human world. The book is divided into three parts: "The Walk of the Feet," which collects the author's travel stories; "The Walk of Thought," which gathers insights from folk cultural research; and "The Walk of Poetry," which compiles inspirations from his travels. Among the over 100 images, the beauty of mountains, rivers, and people during his journeys is condensed.