Transmission In Transformation

Many traditional cultural practices have declined under the impact of economic development, but Qidong Yugu is an exception. This thesis explores attitudes and feelings of the local people embedded in the activities in the performance of Qidong Yugu, presenting the contexts in which it continues to flourish today. By contextualizing Qidong Yugu in its social background and analyzing its diversified meanings from the perspectives of local audience, artists and the local government, I try to offer an anthropological case study of Qidong Yugu.The thesis first introduces the background where Qidong Yugu is practices toady, which include general information of Qidong County in Hunan Province, the history of Qidong Yugu, performance procedures and some basic repertoires of Qidong Yugu. Then I demonstrate the social meanings, kinship ties, love, filial piety, the issue of face that local people relate to Qidong Yugu, thus explaining the underlying causes and social conditions that ensure the popularity of Qidong Yugu. In addition, the involvement of the local government and its timely impact on Qidong Yugu are also illustrated.I conclude that local social actors are the driving engines for the survival and development of Qidong Yugu, living conditions and survival skills of local artists, and local audience not only set up the stage for Qidong Yugu but also provide the social setting. The local government's active promotion of the local traditional practice has contributed to its transmission, in which local people's identification of this particular traditional practice is vital.