Shiyi Sha

Research project

From Memory to Cultural Heritage: How Does the Modern Expression and Interpretation of Cultural Heritage Reshape the Collective Memory?

Supervisors: John Schofield and Louise Cooke

My research is about a newly-nominated heritage route in China, called ‘Miles Tea Road’. Similar to other heritage routes/cultural itineraries (for example: the Silk Road), it has stressed the diversity of both tangible and intangible heritage resources alongside and still been in the process of inscription to World Heritage Site since 2013. This road used to be bustling during 17-20^th century for transporting tea products from China to Europe. Based on heritage sites in different areas on the unique route, I will explore the dynamic relationship between modern expression of these heritage sites and the collective memories about tea road of local communities in the research and try to find how can these two mutually influenced each other through fieldwork.