PRESERVATION OF QIĀNG ZÚ MINORITY’S ARCHITECTURE IN SÌ CHUĀN

Abstract

This paper studies a new concept of restoration in the contemporary world. When we talk about preservation and restoration, we often think in terms of material patrimony
of a culture. Unfortunately this mindset overlooks the immense patrimony of knowledge that is the culture in its totality. This paper aims to conduct a case study of ethnic culture in Sichuan, China: ethnic culture of the 羌族 Qiāng Zú minority. The goal is to analyze the local culture from the point of view of the ancestral tradition and point out an appropriate system of preservation of a reality so delicate that it is at risk of extinction. Our idea is to create a global intervention in conformity of strategy able to cope with give the fragility of the place and protect it from the adverse effect of the globalization. In so doing, we intend to illustrate some possible hypotheses on the preservation of the Qiang minority’s ability to preserve the value architecture.