The Taste Of Qingcheng:the Study Of Hohhot Shao-mai In The Perspective Of Anthropology

Food is a kind of intermediary,it conveys the point and method.In human society,foods not only have physical characteristics,but also lsde with important symbolic significances.they have being added with culture significance increasingly, and forming the so-called “food culture”. we need to think how the foods be contacted with social-cultural,and how to give it meaning. during a period of history,what’s the relationship among the people, the food and the sicio-cultural.Based on these questions,the article did research on the Hohhot Shao-mai.It is said that when the Hohhot was built,Shao-mai was been there. After four centurys,the Shao-mai have become a regional symbol of Hohhot from a food. in the article, the authou focused on the following two issues: how does the hohhot shao-mai be given a variety of culture connotions in different spatial and temporal as a kind of food.how does the shaomai become a symbol of the region by adding local elements to highlight in their home as a kind of the external thing.at last,the authou took the shaomai as an example to explore the characteristics,significances,effects of the “symbolic”phenomenon in contemporary society.The paper included three parts,six chapters.The introduction of this study consisted ofthe origin,the comprehensive description of this literature, research methods.through the review of Food anthropdogy and symbolic anthropdogy,the author found that it was few studies of a food symbols. so the author chose the issue to research in.In the first chapter,the author skrtched urban history of hohhot.then, starting from the story about hohhot shaomai, based on their content. setting and view. explain the meaning of them.In the second and third chapter,the author skrtched the development of shaomai. and discussesed the feature in different period.In the Third and forth chapter,the author skrtched the development of distance now. In modern times,Hohhot shao-mai even became an exclusive food for certain social class.Since reform and opening up,shao-mai restaurants has begun to revive.Private enterprises featuring shao-mai brands have flourished. Private shao-mai restaurants sprang up throughout the city from lanes to main streets.There are time-honored brand restaurants,new restaurants, restaurants for popular tastes, muslem restaurants, mongolian flavor restaurants, chain restaurants,and private restaurants. Hohhot, has become the origin of shao-mai catering culture. The blooming of shao-mai catering mirrors the people’s changes of material life requirements and tastes.Eating shao-mai is not merely a material expense but a medium for conveying viewpoints and gists. As a food specialty,shao-mai meets the need of numerous curious tourists and attracts their attentions at tourist resorts.In the fifth chapter,the author skrtched the sign effect of Hohhot shaomai.All in all,Symbolic hohhot shao-mai is the result of many forces. It is a part of the social change that a food was given the symbolic significance,it is shaping the social relationship and the concept of people power.