A Comparative Study Of Time Space View Between Miao Nationality And Han Nationality

Time space view that culture matters as an extremely stable deep culturalframework, can not only reflect a country’s or a nation’s civilization, but also study theevolution of its development trajectory. Each nationality’s specific view on space-timeis always implied in its timing system. That is because the view controlling timingsystem evolution guides the evolution of timing calendar. For this reason, the timingcalendar can be served as a tool for studying the nationality’s space-time view. However,that each nationality differs in its own cultural background inevitably leads to thedifferent understanding of its own space-time view and of its own expression way.Therefore, a comparative study on timing calendar adopted by different nationalitieswould be necessary before one could know how they understand space-time concept.Both Miao and Han nationality are independent each other within the territory ofChina. Naturally, people will hold that there must be a big difference between the twoethnic groups’ habit and custom. Since Han nationality’s traditional lunar calendar runsa long history and has a far-reaching effect, astronomers and historians have doneprofound research on the timing system. On the other hand, both Chinese and foreignethnologists also conduct intensive research on Miao nationality’s traditional calendarculture. Superficially, the two kinds of traditional calendar vary considerably, but theauthor, based on analyzing the predecessors’ research, discover that their space-timeview strikingly echoes each other. They have the similar deep cultural core: both dostrictly correspond to the specific time and space; both employ the circulation time; bothhave phenological period; and two seasons can be divided into a year in both calendars.This is clearly an unusual cultural phenomenon, and it also involves similar time span ofmore than two thousand years. The only explanation can be understood is that Miaonationality and Han nationality has the common cultural roots in spite of their differentmeans of cultural transmission. The apparent differences in the calendar time are theproducts of cultural differentiation extension which can better adapt to the specialnatural and ecological environment. The author also finds that social structure exercisesa great influence on the calendar time by studying further from their own characteristicsof the two ethnic groups’ social structure. The analysis of such research can be used totest and verify and even enrich Stewart theory, and can furthermore provide a systemapproach for distinguishing cultural transmission and homologous culture. Thiscomparative study will help the later researchers to master the concept of space-timeapplied in some specific nationalities area as soon as possible. Meanwhile, it providesresearchers with the calendar timing cognitive transformation research paradigm, whichis easier to study the nationality’s ecological knowledge and ecological behavior. In thisway, the researchers can better evaluate the national culture, and play a certain role for the development of tourism and ecological construction in ethnic minority areas.