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Chinese Cosmopolitanism (Tianxia He Shijie Zhuyi) in China’s Heritage Tourism

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Cultural Heritage Politics in China

Abstract

This chapter explores how cosmopolitanism, a complex of ideas about global citizenship that encompass ethical, political, and trans-cultural issues, is reconstituted in China as tianxia (Confucian, heritage-based worldview) and shijie zhuyi (outward-looking engagement with the changing world). Drawing from case studies in the Stone Forest and Northwest Shangri-la regions of Yunnan, both lauded for strong indigenous cultural identity and ecological sustainability, the chapter argues Chinese cosmopolitanism is a strategic concept useful for all tourism practitioners. It demonstrates that ethnic and ecological heritage tourism development is shaped by Chinese cosmopolitanism, adding a global dimension to discussions of cosmopolitanism and local heritage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Women and Gender Studies, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Margaret Byrne Swain

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  1. Margaret Byrne Swain
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Correspondence to Margaret Byrne Swain .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Asian Studies, Furman University, Greenville, 29613, South Carolina, USA

    Tami Blumenfield

  2. , Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, S. Mathews Avenue 607, Urbana, 61801, USA

    Helaine Silverman

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Swain, M.B. (2013). Chinese Cosmopolitanism (Tianxia He Shijie Zhuyi) in China’s Heritage Tourism. In: Blumenfield, T., Silverman, H. (eds) Cultural Heritage Politics in China. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6874-5_3

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