The Historical Changes Of The Hui Community In South Street Of Tongzhou

Tongzhou(??)is the terminus of The Grand Canal(?????),and is rich in historical and cultural materials related to that canal's own culture.Nandajie Street (???),as the only Ming or Qing dynasty roadway in Tongzhou that has survived into the present,is the bearer of significant historical memory.It is an area with a high concentration of Hui(?)residents and has more than four centuries of history.Against the background of the history of Tongzhou and of the Hui people,this thesis explores the local situation through various historical time periods,examining key features such as the mosque,Jammat(????),Hui education,ways of life,marriages,funerals and population movements.The thesis has four parts:Part One principally focuses on the building of Tongzhou in the Ming dynasty,the historical background to the construction of Nandajie Street and of the Jamaat.In the early Ming period the governing power over the Jamaat was hereditary.In the middle and late Ming period this hereditary mosque management authority gradually became separate from the itinerant religious/educational authority,and by the middle and late Qing dynasty the“Xhanglao”(local Muslim community elders,or local elders ??)began to take part in the running of the mosque and the Jamaat.Part Two narrates the change in the Hui community of Nandajie Street from the end of the 19th century to the 1950s.During this period the transport of grain to the capital by waterway declined,and there was chaos caused by fighting among warlords.These factors and others led to a pause in the urban development of Tongzhou.The local community elders enjoyed both material prosperity and prestige among locals,and were willing to be involved in the life of the Jamaat.With the support of most local Muslims they constituted the core pillars of the mosque and Jamaat community in the late Imperial and Republican periods.They proactively drove forward a significant change of direction in education in their community,hoping thereby to use education to raise the community out of its backward condition.At the same time the "Xianglao" presided over the shaping of Nandajie Street's Hui lifestyle of early 20th century,and the developing of long-lasting commercial brands by Tongzhou Hui people.Part Three focuses on the Hui community of Nandajie Street after the founding of the People's Republic.With the establishment of "New China",state administrative bodies penetrated the community of Nandajie Street.The Jamaat was folded into various "Danwei" institutions(???).The "Xianglao" enthusiastically supported this;they promoted public-private partnerships,and changes to community education and to marriage customs.After 1978,the "Danwei”system began to be relaxed,community organisations sprung up again,and Nandajie Street now operates under a residential street management system.Part Four is the conclusion,which summarizes the trajectory of change in Tongzhou Nandajie Street's Hui community so far,the formation of its collective memory,and the direction of Nandajie's future development.First,looking back on the historical development of Nandajie Street,we can see its dependence on the development of the city of Tongzhou considered as a whole.Second,describing Nandajie Street's collective memory,all of the food and drink-related "time-honoured brands"(???)are connected to the Hui.The narratives about community history committed to writing by older people in the latter half of the 20th century are recognised by the community as their collective memory.Third,looking at the future of Nandajie Street,when the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party designated Tongzhou as Beijing's second city centre in 2015,Nandajie Street was designated as one of Beijing's protected historical street areas.Nandajie Street's buildings are now historical buildings,and under the government's overall plan Nandajie Street will become a place where Tongzhou's old city appearance will be preserved and its cultural values will be expressed,thereby adapting a historical roadway to modern living.