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EN
ES
FR
Réf.
42854
Type
conference item
Titre
The Dilemma of Democracy in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Taiwan
Langues
English
Auteurs
Chiou, Bor-Shuenn
Lieu de publication
Charenton-le-Pont
Pays de publication
France
Maison d'édition
ICOMOS
Date
2018
Titre de conférence
ICOMOS 19th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium "Heritage and Democracy"
Lieu de conférence
New Delhi, India
Date de conférence
13-14th December 2017
Mots-clés
democracy / cultural heritage / development / cultural policy / economic aspects / social aspects / causes of deterioration / legislation / public awareness / conflicts / reconciliation / governance / policy
Pays mentionnés
Chinese Taipei
Résumé en anglais
Democracy, being people’s power, would grow with contrasts of plural viewpoints andinterests. In some sense, it is in conflict with the idea of monumentality and the conservation of historic monuments in a democratic society is destined to class struggles. Only tolerance through mutual understanding could hopefully reconcile complexity and contradiction. In Taiwan the conservation of cultural heritage does progress along with the development of democracy, and has been accompanied bysocial antagonism. Due to uncompromising ideology, different governments favoured different heritage, even at the cost of hostility. In pre-democratic era, colonial Taiwan saw mass destruction of the establishment of imperial Ching China by the Japanese in the name of modernization. After WWII, the
Nationalist government even remodelled definite heritage buildings randomly to serve political purposes.The rotation of ruling in recent decades also revealed split cultural policies. With respect to cultural heritage, buildings erected during Japanese regime were disregarded by the Nationalist government butwere in turn highly concerned by the DDP authorities. Quite echoed by people, a latest event is that the memorial statues of Chiang Kai-Shek and the Japanese Hatta Yoichi (who had built an important dam incolonial Taiwan) were beheaded separately by opposed political enthusiasts. Besides, with the gradual prevalence of democracy, the removal of buildings of potential cultural significance for important public works (eg. for the Taipei Metro) often faced the protest from conservationist people. On the contrary, theofficial designation of potential private heritage buildings would arouse fierce dissent from owners who expected enormous profits from land speculation. Such discrepancy might reflect the dilemma of democracy. Higher wisdom is obviously needed to tranquilize this turmoil. This paper purports to illuminate these situations with concrete cases and urges ultimate reconciliation for the good of cultural heritage.
Nationalist government even remodelled definite heritage buildings randomly to serve political purposes.The rotation of ruling in recent decades also revealed split cultural policies. With respect to cultural heritage, buildings erected during Japanese regime were disregarded by the Nationalist government butwere in turn highly concerned by the DDP authorities. Quite echoed by people, a latest event is that the memorial statues of Chiang Kai-Shek and the Japanese Hatta Yoichi (who had built an important dam incolonial Taiwan) were beheaded separately by opposed political enthusiasts. Besides, with the gradual prevalence of democracy, the removal of buildings of potential cultural significance for important public works (eg. for the Taipei Metro) often faced the protest from conservationist people. On the contrary, theofficial designation of potential private heritage buildings would arouse fierce dissent from owners who expected enormous profits from land speculation. Such discrepancy might reflect the dilemma of democracy. Higher wisdom is obviously needed to tranquilize this turmoil. This paper purports to illuminate these situations with concrete cases and urges ultimate reconciliation for the good of cultural heritage.
Document joint
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