- Department of Anthropology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR
Sidney Cheung
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Anthropology, Faculty Member
- Ainu, Anthropology of Foodways, Anthropology of Tourism, Indigenous Cultures, Heritage Studies, Visual Anthropology, and 21 moreWetland Culture, Aquaculture and Conservation, Anthropology, Tourism Studies, Housing, Heritage Tourism, Gastronomic Tourism, Hong Kong Society, Ainu studies, Chinese food in Hong Kong, Chinese Food Studies, Hong Kong food culture, Fishery and agriculture, Hong Kong Fishery, Wetland Studies, Hong Kong Culture, Hong Kong Food Studies, Natural Resource & Environmental Management, Economics, Urban Studies, and Ethnographyedit
- I received all my higher education in Japan, and my PhD dissertation is about cultural relations between Ainu people ... moreI received all my higher education in Japan, and my PhD dissertation is about cultural relations between Ainu people and Japanese, submitted to Osaka University in 1994. Currently Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Anthropology, Associate Director of the Centre for Cultural Heritage Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. I have carried out field research in Japan, Hong Kong, mainland China, Southeast Asia and Louisiana, and published my research findings in academic journals such as: Visual Anthropology, International Journal of Heritage Studies, Annals of Tourism Research, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, MUSEUM International, Asian Studies Review, Futures: The Journal of Policy, Planning and Futures Studies, Japanese Society, Journal of The Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, and is the editor of On the South China Track: Perspectives on Anthropological Research and Teaching, Hong Kong: HKIAPS, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (1998); co-editor of Tourism, Anthropology and China, Bangkok: White Lotus (2001), The Globalization of Chinese Food, Surrey: RoutledgeCurzon, and Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press (2002) and Food and Foodways in Asia: Resource, Tradition and Cooking, London and New York: Routledge (2007). Besides academic publications, he also wrote two Chinese popular books--《漁翁移山:香港本土漁業民俗誌 (Ethnography of Local Hong Kong Freshwater Fish Farmers)》and《公路上的廚師 (Chefs on the Road)》which are expected to bring anthropological perspectives to the general public. I am a partner of the UNESCO Chair project of Tours University, France on “Safeguarding and Promoting Cultural Food Heritage” (more details can be found at: http://www.alimentation.univ-tours.fr), and some of my research findings were chosen for some Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) documentary series of 香港故事--第六輯 (Hong Kong Stories—the sixth series) such as [年年有魚] and [東江逆流] in 2008; as for the community services, I am a Scientific Committee member of the Heritage conference series in Portugal since 2008. I hosted three RTHK 香港電台radio programme series in the past decade,《港飲食、講文化》 in 2004, 《文化非主流》in 2005, and《世界長河》in 2011.edit
"This project aims to transfer knowledge generated by various groups/stakeholders (farmers, bird watchers, conservation groups, etc.) to visitors (both domestic and international) to Inner Deep Bay and the neighboring areas (like Yuen... more
"This project aims to transfer knowledge generated by various groups/stakeholders (farmers, bird watchers, conservation groups, etc.) to visitors (both domestic and international) to Inner Deep Bay and the neighboring areas (like Yuen Long, Tai San Wai, etc.) through an integrated design of ecotourism package from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Based on these research findings, this project aims at drawing the public’s attentions at coastal development through creating four seasonal models of wetland tourism package. The emphasis on seasonal change in the area is not only serving the purpose of attracting people for multiple visits but also enhancing the appreciation of life cycle both in nature and local rural communities. The seasonal model is based on the following three major categories of attractions in four seasons: (only mention a couple of items with seasonal characteristics for reference)
1. Sceneries and landscape - mangroves in Autumn, flowers and plants in different seasons, reeds, migratory birds in Winter, water birds, buffalo, landscape, etc.
2. Foodways and nutrition – fish (grey mullet, eel, carp, etc.), oyster, shrimp, crab, wild boar; fruits such as lychee, banana, jack fruits, papaya, star fruits, dragon eyes; seasonal vegetables; festival cuisine such as pun choi in Spring and Autumn, traditional cakes and dishes, seasonal delicacies, etc.
3. Rural community lifestyles - catching mullet fish fry in Winter, fishpond drying in Winter, gei wai harvesting in Summer, Tin Hau Festival in Spring, Lunar New Year, ancestral worshipping, fish market operation in midnight, etc.
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1. Sceneries and landscape - mangroves in Autumn, flowers and plants in different seasons, reeds, migratory birds in Winter, water birds, buffalo, landscape, etc.
2. Foodways and nutrition – fish (grey mullet, eel, carp, etc.), oyster, shrimp, crab, wild boar; fruits such as lychee, banana, jack fruits, papaya, star fruits, dragon eyes; seasonal vegetables; festival cuisine such as pun choi in Spring and Autumn, traditional cakes and dishes, seasonal delicacies, etc.
3. Rural community lifestyles - catching mullet fish fry in Winter, fishpond drying in Winter, gei wai harvesting in Summer, Tin Hau Festival in Spring, Lunar New Year, ancestral worshipping, fish market operation in midnight, etc.
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This is not a book but a short advertising film made for the Faculty of Human Sciences of Osaka University in 1991 with the help of all my best classmates, while I was still doing my PhD there. Many of those classmates are now established... more
This is not a book but a short advertising film made for the Faculty of Human Sciences of Osaka University in 1991 with the help of all my best classmates, while I was still doing my PhD there. Many of those classmates are now established scholars in Japan and South Korea. I decided to make this film available as I think it not only brings us back some good memories but also reminds us of when this group of young anthropology students looked for something interesting at their age.
The story is about a discovery voyage from South Korea to Japan, of a Korean man who is looking for his missing younger brother. He came all the way from Seoul to Osaka in order to find out where his younger brother was, and he toured around the faculty building meeting some professors who might know his brother. He played the role of someone who doesn't speak Japanese but needs to find what his brother was doing in the foreign land. He came with an objective, but at the same time, he was guided by uncertainties. During the search, different research interests were shown and explained; thus, it is considered a journey of the ivory tower with ambitious scholars looking at the society with different kinds of meanings.
I would like to say something about what was behind the scenes here. The background music is original and was from Mr. Aoyama, who used to be my senior. He chose to drop off from the postgraduate programme to become a professional jazz pianist. As I remembered, he was a big fan of Thelonius Monk. The music carried the image of walking in an aquarium, with the senses of surprise and excitement.
The producer was Prof Sato, who provided excellent financial control but at the same time unlimited flexibilities for such an ad film. Another very helpful person was Mr. Takahashi, who gave critical but positive support in various aspects, even though most of us don't know where he is nowadays.
Time flies, and I might have forgotten something important, or people who played substantial roles in this ad film.
I will post it on youtube.com as soon as it is ready, and hope someone will find it interesting.
The story is about a discovery voyage from South Korea to Japan, of a Korean man who is looking for his missing younger brother. He came all the way from Seoul to Osaka in order to find out where his younger brother was, and he toured around the faculty building meeting some professors who might know his brother. He played the role of someone who doesn't speak Japanese but needs to find what his brother was doing in the foreign land. He came with an objective, but at the same time, he was guided by uncertainties. During the search, different research interests were shown and explained; thus, it is considered a journey of the ivory tower with ambitious scholars looking at the society with different kinds of meanings.
I would like to say something about what was behind the scenes here. The background music is original and was from Mr. Aoyama, who used to be my senior. He chose to drop off from the postgraduate programme to become a professional jazz pianist. As I remembered, he was a big fan of Thelonius Monk. The music carried the image of walking in an aquarium, with the senses of surprise and excitement.
The producer was Prof Sato, who provided excellent financial control but at the same time unlimited flexibilities for such an ad film. Another very helpful person was Mr. Takahashi, who gave critical but positive support in various aspects, even though most of us don't know where he is nowadays.
Time flies, and I might have forgotten something important, or people who played substantial roles in this ad film.
I will post it on youtube.com as soon as it is ready, and hope someone will find it interesting.
Research Interests:
「知識轉移計劃」深入上環街區，並將所發現的資料刊登於《野外動向——走進上環系列》。本書收集了9篇以上環乾貨貿易及其世界網絡為主題的文章。
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This is a volume on both research and teaching in South China.
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本書是作者在四年間，對香港淡水養魚業變遷和發展的研究成果。在此之前，作者爲了解文化遺產的出現對原居民村落社區帶來的文化和利益衝突，曾經在元朗屏山一帶開始人類學的田野考察工作，從而對元朗的傳統行業和城市化之間的問題有了初步的接觸，產生興趣。無奈，作者感到有關本地行業的發展和變遷的文字資料和記錄極爲有限，有需要以全觀的角度對某些自己感興趣的課題下一些功夫。鑑於淡水魚養殖業近年出現多方面的變化，就以濕地保育和候鳥在漁塘偷取魚獲的情況，已經足以反映其複雜的商業利益和地方政治的關係。作... more
本書是作者在四年間，對香港淡水養魚業變遷和發展的研究成果。在此之前，作者爲了解文化遺產的出現對原居民村落社區帶來的文化和利益衝突，曾經在元朗屏山一帶開始人類學的田野考察工作，從而對元朗的傳統行業和城市化之間的問題有了初步的接觸，產生興趣。無奈，作者感到有關本地行業的發展和變遷的文字資料和記錄極爲有限，有需要以全觀的角度對某些自己感興趣的課題下一些功夫。鑑於淡水魚養殖業近年出現多方面的變化，就以濕地保育和候鳥在漁塘偷取魚獲的情況，已經足以反映其複雜的商業利益和地方政治的關係。作者通過和本地漁民接觸、觀察行業本身的運作和通過深入訪問了解漁民自身的生活和心路歷程，以全觀角度探討淡水魚養殖業在香港的發展過程。作者的著眼點不單是食物生產工業的變化，而且是行業的多重意義，特別在地方政治的角力和環境保育衍生出來的複雜關係。
有別於作者其它的發表形式，本書採取了一種非學術論文的寫作方法，希望通過訪問突出漁民的生活文化，和在面對社會變遷時的「移山」意志，給香港大部份的都市人一個深思和反省的空間。本書以《漁翁移山》為題，是希望讀者在了解養魚業的歷史發展之餘，還可感受漁民對生活的堅守不移和目下魚塘光景的歷史凝聚；雖然當我們眼看到今日站立在塘邊的魚屋心底裏不期然流露一點唏噓，但當我們試圖想像他們那一股無比的移山意志之際，又給予我們無比的興奮。本書找來十位受訪者，他們都能代表他們的工作地區，對自身的行業有豐富的工作經驗，並在行業中擔當獨特的身份，其中有村長、批發商、養魚協進會理事長等等。作者試圖放下學術文章的協作方式，用比較感性的文字給不同的讀者引領到筆者的田野國度裏。
有別於作者其它的發表形式，本書採取了一種非學術論文的寫作方法，希望通過訪問突出漁民的生活文化，和在面對社會變遷時的「移山」意志，給香港大部份的都市人一個深思和反省的空間。本書以《漁翁移山》為題，是希望讀者在了解養魚業的歷史發展之餘，還可感受漁民對生活的堅守不移和目下魚塘光景的歷史凝聚；雖然當我們眼看到今日站立在塘邊的魚屋心底裏不期然流露一點唏噓，但當我們試圖想像他們那一股無比的移山意志之際，又給予我們無比的興奮。本書找來十位受訪者，他們都能代表他們的工作地區，對自身的行業有豐富的工作經驗，並在行業中擔當獨特的身份，其中有村長、批發商、養魚協進會理事長等等。作者試圖放下學術文章的協作方式，用比較感性的文字給不同的讀者引領到筆者的田野國度裏。
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本書借用了<公路>一詞來比喻一群在香港從事飲食業的廚師的生活和他們在飲食文化大舞台上的演出。從戰後到今天的漫長歲月裏，他們和每一個香港人一樣都曾經為生活而奔波、為工作而經歷了種種社會的變遷。當中有他們從成功帶來的耀目光輝，也有因失敗而體會到生命的暗底。但在他們奔馳過的公路上，可以留下作爲回憶的一切都是一段一段值得我們學習和反思的珍貴課題。<公路>本來是連貫兩地的基建工程，但鑑於其無休止的長途旅程加上無法預期的人事物的出現，我想這正正展示了人生無常和人事多變的情和境。不得不提的... more
本書借用了<公路>一詞來比喻一群在香港從事飲食業的廚師的生活和他們在飲食文化大舞台上的演出。從戰後到今天的漫長歲月裏，他們和每一個香港人一樣都曾經為生活而奔波、為工作而經歷了種種社會的變遷。當中有他們從成功帶來的耀目光輝，也有因失敗而體會到生命的暗底。但在他們奔馳過的公路上，可以留下作爲回憶的一切都是一段一段值得我們學習和反思的珍貴課題。<公路>本來是連貫兩地的基建工程，但鑑於其無休止的長途旅程加上無法預期的人事物的出現，我想這正正展示了人生無常和人事多變的情和境。不得不提的是<公路>也成為電影故事的敍事技巧，而這也是我借用來呈現戰後香港社會在食物生產、處理和消費時所經歷的變化的原因。把廚師的工作說成公路上的旅程，是希望可以通過廚師的際遇、師承和融會等心路歷程了解到為世的道理規條，往往和其處於的文化環境和政治時空，有着不可分割的關係。而且，他們昔日跑過的公路，正是我們今日和將來面對的道途。
《公路上的廚師》也就如人生飛奔在公路上，一切仿如擦身而過，有緣的開始和無緣的終結，一張一張陌生但似曾相識的面孔，一幕一幕平凡而新鮮的情節，仿似仍然活在今天香港的街角裏。再者，公路也是平民百姓的生活的寫照，作者藉此展示香港社會文化中平凡裏的不平庸，雖然他們不一定是大多香港人認識的明星大廚，但他們的生活經驗卻來得真實得多。《公路上的廚師》是一本以廚師的生活經驗為中軸，反映香港戰後社會的飲食文化的文字記錄。透過一連串對資深廚師的訪問，本書希望把讀者引領到廚師的生活舞台裏，讓我們對每個身處於不同餐食範疇的廚師的台前幕後，經歷了一個為地方歷史和文化遺產作出探索和保存的心路旅程。希望大家就愛上了它的真實，戀上了它的灑脫，和迷上了它的堅持。這一點一滴的斷章，希望讀者將它們化零為整，分享一幅反映本地戰後生活文化的美食萬花筒。借「東京畫/尋找小津(Tokyo-ga)」内德國新浪潮電影大師溫德斯 (Wim Wenders) 在東京尋找小津安二郎的起動下，繼而把八十年代日本社會文化呈現鏡頭前的做法，我在此希望本書在走訪廚師的歷程中，為讀者導賞現代香港社會的文化足跡。
作者訪問了十多位在香港不同菜系、不同飲食行業從事超過數十年的資深廚師，他們都能代表他們的工作地區，對自身的行業有豐富的工作經驗。作者通過和他們的接觸、觀察行業本身的運作和通過深入訪問了解他們的學師過程和創作的心路歷程，以全觀角度探討不同飲食行業在香港的發展過程。作者的著眼點不單是食物烹調的變化，而且是行業的多重社會意義，特別在社會變遷和消費文化衍生出來的個人和行業之間的關係。有別於作者其它的發表形式，《公路上的廚師》採取了一種非學術論文的寫作方法，希望透過一連串的訪問突出廚師的生活經驗，使讀者不單對每個身處於不同餐食範疇的師傅的心路歷程有所理解，而且更可以把他們各自對戰後香港飲食文化的貢獻化零為整，分享一幅反映本地生活文化的美食萬花筒。論《公路上的廚師》的寫作風格，作者希望在飲食文化上，提出一個可供得選擇。
本書一共分成十三章，除了本章為讀者介紹了文化人類學在飲食研究發展的經緯之外，其它的十二個章節，分別以東江菜、山東京菜、粵菜、港式西餐、點心、茶餐廳、大型到會(到會是廣東話，意指外燴)、私房菜、盆菜、廣東粥等分述不同香港飲食發展中、在不同地方工作的廚師的經歷。正如東江菜和北京菜的廚師，他們和大部份的香港人一樣都是在一九四九年國內解放之後，來到香港這塊彈丸之地找工作尋生計，而通過同鄉的介紹把家鄉的飲食變成謀生的工具，可算是動蕩社會下的一種產物。在他們的口中，我們聽到他們往住為了較好的收入和較高層次的技術追來，不斷轉換工作地點和工種。而他們的選擇正正反映了飲食行內分工的傳統和個人要求突破而採取的相應對策。此外，港式豉油西餐和茶餐廳的發展，反映了「努力求變，無師自通」的香港精神，而他們的故事更是活生生的例子。最後，我以兩位從事蛇和野味供應方面的師傅的訪問，使讀者可以從另一角度思考香港飲食事的將來，究竟是一片光明前路，還是像在公路上奔馳的車手一樣，希望在汽油還沒有用盡之前無奈地完成自己的旅程。
《公路上的廚師》也就如人生飛奔在公路上，一切仿如擦身而過，有緣的開始和無緣的終結，一張一張陌生但似曾相識的面孔，一幕一幕平凡而新鮮的情節，仿似仍然活在今天香港的街角裏。再者，公路也是平民百姓的生活的寫照，作者藉此展示香港社會文化中平凡裏的不平庸，雖然他們不一定是大多香港人認識的明星大廚，但他們的生活經驗卻來得真實得多。《公路上的廚師》是一本以廚師的生活經驗為中軸，反映香港戰後社會的飲食文化的文字記錄。透過一連串對資深廚師的訪問，本書希望把讀者引領到廚師的生活舞台裏，讓我們對每個身處於不同餐食範疇的廚師的台前幕後，經歷了一個為地方歷史和文化遺產作出探索和保存的心路旅程。希望大家就愛上了它的真實，戀上了它的灑脫，和迷上了它的堅持。這一點一滴的斷章，希望讀者將它們化零為整，分享一幅反映本地戰後生活文化的美食萬花筒。借「東京畫/尋找小津(Tokyo-ga)」内德國新浪潮電影大師溫德斯 (Wim Wenders) 在東京尋找小津安二郎的起動下，繼而把八十年代日本社會文化呈現鏡頭前的做法，我在此希望本書在走訪廚師的歷程中，為讀者導賞現代香港社會的文化足跡。
作者訪問了十多位在香港不同菜系、不同飲食行業從事超過數十年的資深廚師，他們都能代表他們的工作地區，對自身的行業有豐富的工作經驗。作者通過和他們的接觸、觀察行業本身的運作和通過深入訪問了解他們的學師過程和創作的心路歷程，以全觀角度探討不同飲食行業在香港的發展過程。作者的著眼點不單是食物烹調的變化，而且是行業的多重社會意義，特別在社會變遷和消費文化衍生出來的個人和行業之間的關係。有別於作者其它的發表形式，《公路上的廚師》採取了一種非學術論文的寫作方法，希望透過一連串的訪問突出廚師的生活經驗，使讀者不單對每個身處於不同餐食範疇的師傅的心路歷程有所理解，而且更可以把他們各自對戰後香港飲食文化的貢獻化零為整，分享一幅反映本地生活文化的美食萬花筒。論《公路上的廚師》的寫作風格，作者希望在飲食文化上，提出一個可供得選擇。
本書一共分成十三章，除了本章為讀者介紹了文化人類學在飲食研究發展的經緯之外，其它的十二個章節，分別以東江菜、山東京菜、粵菜、港式西餐、點心、茶餐廳、大型到會(到會是廣東話，意指外燴)、私房菜、盆菜、廣東粥等分述不同香港飲食發展中、在不同地方工作的廚師的經歷。正如東江菜和北京菜的廚師，他們和大部份的香港人一樣都是在一九四九年國內解放之後，來到香港這塊彈丸之地找工作尋生計，而通過同鄉的介紹把家鄉的飲食變成謀生的工具，可算是動蕩社會下的一種產物。在他們的口中，我們聽到他們往住為了較好的收入和較高層次的技術追來，不斷轉換工作地點和工種。而他們的選擇正正反映了飲食行內分工的傳統和個人要求突破而採取的相應對策。此外，港式豉油西餐和茶餐廳的發展，反映了「努力求變，無師自通」的香港精神，而他們的故事更是活生生的例子。最後，我以兩位從事蛇和野味供應方面的師傅的訪問，使讀者可以從另一角度思考香港飲食事的將來，究竟是一片光明前路，還是像在公路上奔馳的車手一樣，希望在汽油還沒有用盡之前無奈地完成自己的旅程。
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... Table of Contents Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Catherine Chapter 2: Luke Chapter 3: Faith Chapter 4: Luke Chapter 5: Faith Chapter 6: Luke Chapter 7: Faith Chapter 8: Luke Chapter 9: Faith Chapter 10: Olivia Chapter 11: Faith Chapter... more
... Table of Contents Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Catherine Chapter 2: Luke Chapter 3: Faith Chapter 4: Luke Chapter 5: Faith Chapter 6: Luke Chapter 7: Faith Chapter 8: Luke Chapter 9: Faith Chapter 10: Olivia Chapter 11: Faith Chapter 12: Catherine Chapter 13: Olivia ...
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Page 1. Occasional Paper No. 128 August 2002 Hong Kong institute of Asia-Pacific studies The Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies was established in September 1990 to promote multidisciplinary social science research on social,... more
Page 1. Occasional Paper No. 128 August 2002 Hong Kong institute of Asia-Pacific studies The Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies was established in September 1990 to promote multidisciplinary social science research on social, political and economic development. ...
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Recent anthropological studies on foodways have highlighted the globalization of local foodways as well as the localization of foreign foodways in various countries, reminding us that foodways are simultaneously local and global in terms... more
Recent anthropological studies on foodways have highlighted the globalization of local foodways as well as the localization of foreign foodways in various countries, reminding us that foodways are simultaneously local and global in terms of production, manufacturing, and marketing. This paper seeks to examine the influences brought by the move of crayfish (freshwater crustacean resembling lobster) from the southern United States to Asia, especially to Lake Akan, Hokkaido in Japan and Xuyi, Jiangsu in mainland China, and investigate individual and community responses toward adaptation, consumption and conservation since the coming of crayfish in the 1920s. In this paper, I will describe how the introduction and cultivation of a new non-local food species has contributed to changes in farming methods, trading network and conservation efforts in contemporary Asia. We have seen many adventive species bring negative impacts to their new environments. A few examples are Nile perch in Aust...
Wetlands are ecotones, or transition areas, where aquatic and terrestrial sets of ecological or environmental characteristics coexist and interact in marshes, swamps, and bogs, among other types of environment. Besides their ecological... more
Wetlands are ecotones, or transition areas, where aquatic and terrestrial sets of ecological or environmental characteristics coexist and interact in marshes, swamps, and bogs, among other types of environment. Besides their ecological characteristics, wetlands offer a rich landscape for understanding changing life ways, including such phenomena as an influx of migrants, the formation of fishery villages, relationships with traditional villages such as the South Chinese lineage settlements in the case of Hong Kong’s wetlands, and the communal livelihoods of former fishermen. Such phenomena all demonstrate coastal resource management from local perspectives.
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The mode of food production has undergone dramatic changes in the last century and some regional aquaculture system has been facing various kinds of challenges including, natural disasters, pollution, climate changes, demographic change... more
The mode of food production has undergone dramatic changes in the last century and some regional aquaculture system has been facing various kinds of challenges including, natural disasters, pollution, climate changes, demographic change of local population, etc. In this paper, I would like to use the case of oyster farming both in Hong Kong and France to highlight the understanding of social resilience after natural and environmental disasters and to investigate the significance of community engagement for the rescue of the local aquacultural industry. Many of the daily ingredients we use today are in fact global in origin, but oyster farming has a strong local root because of the expected variation of salinity, temperature and diversity of infaunal organisms for the aquaculture practice. oyster farming has a long history in different parts of the world, and relevant communities have rich experience for the sustainable coastal resource management and strong senses of responsibility ...
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Review(s) of: Japanese foodways, past and present, edited by Eric C. Rath and Stephanie Assmann, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2010, 288 pp.
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Foodways have always been an entry point for anthropologists’ investigations of cultures (Mintz and Du Bois 2002). Early anthropological research on food and cuisine centered largely upon questions of taboo, totems, sacrifice, and... more
Foodways have always been an entry point for anthropologists’ investigations of cultures (Mintz and Du Bois 2002). Early anthropological research on food and cuisine centered largely upon questions of taboo, totems, sacrifice, and communion. With the cultural symbolism approach, the analyses emphasize how food reflects humans’ understandings of themselves and their relations with the physical world as well as the supernatural world. Structural anthropologists focus on edibility rules—why food is a symbol through which the “deep structure” of humanity can be investigated, and also how corresponding concepts of the body and spatial territories can be discerned. With the publication of Jack Goody’s Cooking, Cuisine, and Class: A Study in Comparative Sociology (1982), the anthropological study of food has turned our attention to many sociocultural issues in the larger political economy, which broadens our understanding of urbanization, modernization, class, social hierarchy, and the meanings of taste from a cultural and political perspective. Recent anthropological studies on Asian foodways have focused on changes in the local dynamics of production, representation, identity construction, postmodern consumerism, etc.; in particular, they have highlighted the globalization of local foodways as well as the localization of foreign foodways in various countries, reminding us that foodways are simultaneously local and global in terms of production, manufacturing, and marketing.
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In Japan, Chinese foodways is familiar to most people and Chinese tea will not be the exception. However, regarding the habits of drinking Chinese tea, we realize that cold vending machine oolong tea (烏龍茶) is surprisingly the most popular... more
In Japan, Chinese foodways is familiar to most people and Chinese tea will not be the exception. However, regarding the habits of drinking Chinese tea, we realize that cold vending machine oolong tea (烏龍茶) is surprisingly the most popular form, rather than the hot and freshly brewed style that most Chinese people are used to. We know the meanings of food vary across different countries and are always negotiable, and anthropologists have done extensive studies on the domestication of foreign culture including dietary culture; however, the necessity of long-term investigation to observe the progression of localization of foods and eating habits has been overlooked. In this paper, I would talk about the domestication of foreign culture in Japan with a particular emphasis upon the emergence of “real and expensive” Chinese delicacy as compared to chuka-ryori (中華料理) and Chinese tea as compared to the popular vending machine type, for the understanding of the dynamism of social taste among...
by 2000, it had focused its marketing around a “life cycle” it constructed for Hello Kitty consumers, and Hello Kitty became something often shared between mothers and daughters. Yano argues that it is not coincidental that at the same... more
by 2000, it had focused its marketing around a “life cycle” it constructed for Hello Kitty consumers, and Hello Kitty became something often shared between mothers and daughters. Yano argues that it is not coincidental that at the same time, within Japanese popular culture and public discourse, the identity of the shōjo (young woman) began to include both adult sexuality and childhood innocence. The existence of the infamous Hello Kitty vibrator is thus not so much a paradox as a predictable outcome of marketing strategies that take advantage of the increasing ambiguity of pinkness. Yano argues that it is the wink that allows Hello Kitty to function not only as a node of identification between different generations of women, but between girl/shōjo culture and more male-dominated scenes, and between Japan and the rest of the industrialized world. For Yano, Kitty’s wink does not simply embody the attitude of postfeminist American women, but lies at the heart of Japanese national branding. The wink encompasses and juxtaposes contradictory meanings within the frame of “play” or asobi, a frame in which “one may take license beyond expectation, beyond norms, beyond values, even while retreating into the shelter of jest” (p. 265). Yano argues that one of the conditions of Hello Kitty’s wink is the direction of her “trek across the Pacific.” Because Hello Kitty travels from Japan to the United States, rather than the other way around, Sanrio’s ubiquity is not experienced as a threat in the same way as the ubiquity of Mickey Mouse or Coca-Cola. Yano has provided a new model for how to do multi-sited ethnography of globalization and consumer culture. Pink Globalization is bound to become a staple of anthropology, cultural studies, gender studies, and Japan studies syllabi. For more advanced students, it provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the state of the field in Japanese pop culture studies, “soft power” globalization, and national branding. Those students will also be engagedbyYano’s key concepts of pinkandwink. Forundergraduates, the bookalsoprovides concretemodels for how to do and analyze interviews, how to design research on fandoms and corporate cultures, and how to draw connections between macro theories and local data. No single book could cover every question there is to ask about Hello Kitty. Pink Globalization stays within the well-traveled geography of what Roland Kelts called “Japanamerica.” Although she cites the growing body of work on the reception of Japanese popular culture in Taiwan and Korea, and includes a photo of a street vendor selling Hello Kitty toys in Rio de Janeiro, Yano leaves the question of how Hello Kitty is interpreted by people in the rest of the world (including the workers who actually make all those products) to others. I expect that this is one of those books that will launch a wave of thesis projects, and I look forward to reading answers to this and other Kitty questions in the near future.
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PurposeThe sublime in scent refers to the use of language and description that excites thoughts and emotions beyond ordinary olfactory experience, and I would like to borrow this literary concept to explore the recent development of... more
PurposeThe sublime in scent refers to the use of language and description that excites thoughts and emotions beyond ordinary olfactory experience, and I would like to borrow this literary concept to explore the recent development of incense traditions in Japan and China from a sociocultural perspective. In order to understand how olfactory characters of incense have been verbally expressed, we can start by looking into the sublime in scent through the articulation of relevant subtle approaches since ancient times.Design/methodology/approachThis paper explains how the description of scent experienced by individuals has been associated with thoughts and history and why the sublime in scent is more complicated than the aroma people can tell. The data collected for this research is mostly based on observations by participating in various events and conversations with different people.FindingsIn Japan and China, the use of incense has a long history, and relevant scent cultures have been...
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ABSTRACT Chinese regional cuisines have developed their own flavors and presentation styles. Huaiyang cuisine (淮揚菜) in the Jiangsu area emphasizes excellent cutting skills, culinary techniques, and the use of ingredients cultivated in the... more
ABSTRACT Chinese regional cuisines have developed their own flavors and presentation styles. Huaiyang cuisine (淮揚菜) in the Jiangsu area emphasizes excellent cutting skills, culinary techniques, and the use of ingredients cultivated in the Yangtze River Delta area. There is no doubt that regional cuisines have distinctive local characteristics. However, with increased migration since the 1950s, it has become important to investigate how these local cuisines have changed in relation to the culinary skills and tastes of people in different regional contexts. To gauge the discrepancy between the historical construction of the cuisine in modern times and everyday food practices, Hong Kong will be used as a case study. Since most people in Hong Kong are unfamiliar with Huaiyang cuisine, this paper explains why there has been an overemphasis on official historical discourse from the national perspective and how the change of regional should be understood as a living practice from the diasporic context.
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Purpose Oyster cultivation has a long history in Pearl River Delta area and is one of the traditional aquaculture depending strongly on the natural coastal resource because of the expected variation of salinity, temperature and diversity... more
Purpose Oyster cultivation has a long history in Pearl River Delta area and is one of the traditional aquaculture depending strongly on the natural coastal resource because of the expected variation of salinity, temperature and diversity of infaunal organisms for the cultivation practice. Apart from being the traditional knowledge inherited through the coastal communities over the centuries, oyster aquaculture is also embedded in the long-term socio-economic relationships among communities that have a rich experience regarding the quality and quantity controls for the long-term sustainable coastal resource management, together with a strong sense of responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the local food heritage for various reasons. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper seeks to examine oyster cultivation in Lau Fau Shan (literally means floating mountain) in Hong Kong, not only from the cultural–historical perspectives but also from th...
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This Chapter is neither about any Po-boys restaurant in the New Territories, nor any existing jazz club in Hong Kong. As reflected in the title—inspired by the romance road movie “Paris, Texas” directed by the renowned new wave German... more
This Chapter is neither about any Po-boys restaurant in the New Territories, nor any existing jazz club in Hong Kong. As reflected in the title—inspired by the romance road movie “Paris, Texas” directed by the renowned new wave German film director Wim Wenders in 1984—this Chapter is in fact about my first exploration of New Orleans and southern Louisianan culture. It is based on knowledge acquired from previous research on food production as well as agricultural development, heritage preservation and environmental politics in rural Hong Kong, and particularly in the wetland area of the New Territories, over the last decade.
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... breaks and day-trips at home instead of travelling to Macau or Shenzhen. Despite the dominant metropolitan image of Hong Kong, the HKSAR government has devised different strategies to encourage nature-based tourism, one of which is... more
... breaks and day-trips at home instead of travelling to Macau or Shenzhen. Despite the dominant metropolitan image of Hong Kong, the HKSAR government has devised different strategies to encourage nature-based tourism, one of which is through the sustainable utilisation of ...
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Page 1. Can Tourist Experiences Guide Restaurant Development? 1 Can Tourist Experiences Guide Restaurant Development? Sidney CH CHEUNG The Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong E-mail: sidneycheung@cuhk.edu.hk Introduction ...
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ABSTRACT In this article, I propose using bridal photography and wedding video-recording to gain a better understanding of the meanings of romance and the ideal life among young generations and to consider how relevant images of getting... more
ABSTRACT In this article, I propose using bridal photography and wedding video-recording to gain a better understanding of the meanings of romance and the ideal life among young generations and to consider how relevant images of getting married shed light on the changing social life in Hong Kong. Bridal photography and wedding videorecording not only play the role of documentation but also reflect the social change and values among new married couples in the society. By examining packaged bridal photography and the process of wedding video-shooting, I propose to state how visualization brings subtle influences into the new dynamism of marriage as a ritual and reflects the changing social contexts in today's Hong Kong everyday life.
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The north‐western part of Hong Kong is a marsh with traditional freshwater fish farming; however, this brackish area has been agriculturally diversified to include cultivation of red rice, reeds, shrimp and fish, and has only largely... more
The north‐western part of Hong Kong is a marsh with traditional freshwater fish farming; however, this brackish area has been agriculturally diversified to include cultivation of red rice, reeds, shrimp and fish, and has only largely concentrated on freshwater fish farming ...
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Recent anthropological studies on foodways have highlighted the globalization of local foodways as well as the localization of foreign foodways in various countries, reminding us ... Philippines, bullfrog in South Korea, and grass carp... more
Recent anthropological studies on foodways have highlighted the globalization of local foodways as well as the localization of foreign foodways in various countries, reminding us ... Philippines, bullfrog in South Korea, and grass carp and snakehead in North America, ...
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Page 1. Martyrs, Mystery and Memory Behind a Communal Hall SIDNEY CH CHEUNG This article concerns how memories are affected by social change and shaped within specific cul-tural and political contexts. Starting from ...
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Page 1. Photographing the Ainu and the Emperor: Modernity in Meiji Japan Sidney CH Cheung To articulate the past historically does not mean to recognize it &quot;the way it really was. . . .&quot; Walter Benjamin (Theses on the... more
Page 1. Photographing the Ainu and the Emperor: Modernity in Meiji Japan Sidney CH Cheung To articulate the past historically does not mean to recognize it &quot;the way it really was. . . .&quot; Walter Benjamin (Theses on the Philosophy ofHistory) ...
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CUHK Sir. ...