Since the theoretical lens of lifestyle mobilities was introduced, there has been a growing inter... more Since the theoretical lens of lifestyle mobilities was introduced, there has been a growing interest in the role of mobility in weakening rigid binaries such as home/away and work/leisure. This article draws on this theoretical perspective to explore how sojourners in Macau blur spatial and temporal binaries in their adaptation to their new and temporary situation. Individual thematic interviews with 17 sojourners were conducted, revealing their choice of lifestyle as regards home/away and work/leisure patterns. Theoretically, the study demonstrates how once distinct spheres of social life such as ‘home, ‘away’, ‘work’, and ‘leisure’ are now highly integrated. Sojourners keep a sense of being ‘at home’ through upholding their habitual routine; simultaneously, they feel ‘away from home’ by partly adopting a local lifestyle and exploiting the sightseeing and tourism opportunities. Yet long working hours can highly restrict leisure and in particular tourism activities. Empirically, thi...
Increasing attention has been devoted in the literature to the popularity of nostalgic tourism, w... more Increasing attention has been devoted in the literature to the popularity of nostalgic tourism, which could be viewed as a separate form of tourism whose motivation is of a personal nature. Scholars have during the last few decades published research articles on nostalgic tourism from the perspectives of anthropology, sociology, psychology, management and marketing (Davis, 1979; Graburn, 1995; Wildschut, Sedikides, Routledge, Arndt & Cordaro, 2010). From a sociological point of view, nostalgia is defined as “a sentimental or bittersweet yearning for an experience, product, or service from the past” (Baker & Kennedy, 1994, p. 169). From an anthropological perspective, Graburn (1995, p. 166) commented that nostalgia tourism is travelling “with a wish for the past” and it is a personal effort meant to slow down one’s life cycle, to indulge in one’s earlier stage of life or as a way to counter rapid changes. Stern (1992) suggested that nostalgia can be reflected on one’s own identity, s...
Community participation has long been at the forefront of the sustainable development agenda. How... more Community participation has long been at the forefront of the sustainable development agenda. However, conflicts between communities and authorities over heritage conservation decisions have become a recurring heritage issue in recent decades. A major point of contention is the impact of proposed heritage projects on communities. Numerous case studies have shown that communities generally remain indifferent to heritage projects; but when they do react, they react at a very late stage, often taking drastic actions such as street protests or lawsuits, even when these projects are announced and public consultations are conducted in advance. Such indifference of communities towards heritage conservation negates the important tenet of community stewardship of heritage and allows the authorities to pursue a top-down heritage conservation approach. This paper uses Dawkin’s Selfish Gene theory – an influential theory originating from the field of evolution and biology that postulates that a...
This introductory chapter presents the research objectives of the thesis. It highlights its inten... more This introductory chapter presents the research objectives of the thesis. It highlights its intended contribution to knowledge and the originality of the work. It also outlines the structure of the thesis by giving a short overview of its eight other chapters. The intention of this thesis is to study a major Chinese Buddhist sacred site, to reveal how it faces the challenges of being not only a Buddhist pilgrimage site, but also a recreational destination. In particular, the thesis aims to reveal how Buddhist monks and nuns perceive receiving visitors and tourism, as well as to describe how the sacred site is managed from the point of view of visitor control. In today's China, since the religious revival that started some thirty years ago, the major Buddhist sites attract large numbers of pilgrims and tourists. For a study which intends to understand Buddhist pilgrimage and tourism in the context of China, it was deemed appropriate to select one of the Four Buddhist Sacred Mountains of China that are the most conspicuous religious destinations of the country. Pu-Tuo was selected because, of those four Sacred Mountains, it is the one most accessible to the public in terms of proximity to a large population living in neighbouring large cities; it is also the sacred mountain which records the highest number of tourist arrival among the four. According to the Pu-Tuo-Shan Tourism Bureau, Pu-Tuo received 5,255,800 visitors in 2008 (Pu-Tuo Government Tourism News 2008) while the other three sacred mountains had visitor arrivals all numbering less than three million. Pu-Tuo was also selected as the research site to reflect the challenges that other religious sacred sites in China are facing today. Pu-Tuo is in fact an island located in 11 explains that engaging in pilgrimages can be found in many religions, including Buddhism. According to some Buddhist scriptures, when Buddha Shakyamuni was alive, one of his ten disciples, Ven. Punna (富樓那尊者), took the initiative of travelling around to preach Buddhism in uncivilised and remote districts far away from his teacher. Ven. Punna was famous for his courage and for the fact that he understood the essence of Buddhism very well. When Ven. Punna asked for the permission from Buddha, his mentor, to preach in those faraway areas, Buddha asked him how he would handle it if he were assaulted, mauled or even murdered by those who lived in those rural districts. Ven. Punna replied that he would consider such occurrences to be fortunate because he could then practice what he had learned from Buddha, such as emptiness, tolerance and compassion. He further explained that whenever he felt tired, discouraged and needed new strength to carry on his preaching mission, he would come back to visit his venerable teacher, that Buddha's teaching would always be the best healing and strongest source of energy that could sustain his mission and his life (Bhikkhu, 1997; Hsingyun, 1959, pp. 84-86). From Ven. Punna's reply, it is obvious that the return to the Buddha, his Centre of the World, was a process of rebirth, a chance to renew his strength, to get fresh vigour from his teacher and other arhats (羅漢) brothers, monks who have freed themselves from the bonds of desires and illusions and will not be reborn in samsara again), and to spend some sacred time with them before going back to the mundane world. In effect, Ven. Punna was already talking about undertaking a pilgrimage as evidenced by his periodic return to visit the Buddha. 12 2.2 Buddhist Monasticism 2.2.1 The Birth of Buddhist Monasticism Buddhism is the dominant religion of the Chinese. According to the China Buddhist Association, over 50% of the population of China believes in Buddhism. China is the country with the largest Buddhist population (BDEA, 2008). Another statistical source provided by the "Adherents.com" reports that in 2005 China was the country with the largest Buddhist population. There were 360 million Buddhists in the world, of which 102 million lived in China (Adherents.com, 2008). The Chinese people had their first acquaintance with Buddhism through traders who came from Central Asia. It is widely believed that Buddhism spread into China during the first century A.D.
It is possible for laypersons to purchase a tour package allowing them to ‘cross the line’ and fo... more It is possible for laypersons to purchase a tour package allowing them to ‘cross the line’ and for a day or two ‘live as a Buddhist monk’ in some Chinese monasteries, with the result that they might intrude into the life of its religious members much more deeply than a simple visitor with some degree of religious interest would. This paper investigates whether visitors who had chosen to experience the life a Buddhist monk for a day or two in a Buddhist monastery were looking for the opportunity of experiencing some degree of “peak/extramundane experience”. In Buddhism, a peak/extramundane experience is meant to be a truly meaningful religious experience that is a step in the direction of enlightened. It is also a core objective, to a Buddhist practitioner, of undertaking a pilgrimage to and spending some time in a monastery. Yet lay visitors with various degrees of faith in Buddhism may have different purpose(s) for living for a while in a monastery. Each case can put the resident m...
ABSTRACT Since the theoretical lens of lifestyle mobilities was introduced, there has been a grow... more ABSTRACT Since the theoretical lens of lifestyle mobilities was introduced, there has been a growing interest in the role of mobility in weakening rigid binaries such as home/away and work/leisure. This article draws on this theoretical perspective to explore how sojourners in Macau blur spatial and temporal binaries in their adaptation to their new and temporary situation. Individual thematic interviews with 17 sojourners were conducted, revealing their choice of lifestyle as regards home/away and work/leisure patterns. Theoretically, the study demonstrates how once distinct spheres of social life such as ‘home, ‘away’, ‘work’, and ‘leisure’ are now highly integrated. Sojourners keep a sense of being ‘at home’ through upholding their habitual routine; simultaneously, they feel ‘away from home’ by partly adopting a local lifestyle and exploiting the sightseeing and tourism opportunities. Yet long working hours can highly restrict leisure and in particular tourism activities. Empirically, this study documents different types of lifestyles among Macau sojourners ranging from selective mobilisation of the local resources into a lifestyle attuned to their new temporary circumstances to almost exclusive concentration on work and cultural indifference to the new environment and the opportunities it offers.
Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes on... more Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person. Authors control the copyright of their thesis. You will recognise the author's right to be identified as the author of the ...
... about the person's needs based on non-verbal cues and/or pushing unwanted information on... more ... about the person's needs based on non-verbal cues and/or pushing unwanted information onto tourists because of a power imbalance between actors. ... Staff are assumed to have broadknowledge because all are local residents and many have taken tour guiding or other ...
Since the theoretical lens of lifestyle mobilities was introduced, there has been a growing inter... more Since the theoretical lens of lifestyle mobilities was introduced, there has been a growing interest in the role of mobility in weakening rigid binaries such as home/away and work/leisure. This article draws on this theoretical perspective to explore how sojourners in Macau blur spatial and temporal binaries in their adaptation to their new and temporary situation. Individual thematic interviews with 17 sojourners were conducted, revealing their choice of lifestyle as regards home/away and work/leisure patterns. Theoretically, the study demonstrates how once distinct spheres of social life such as ‘home, ‘away’, ‘work’, and ‘leisure’ are now highly integrated. Sojourners keep a sense of being ‘at home’ through upholding their habitual routine; simultaneously, they feel ‘away from home’ by partly adopting a local lifestyle and exploiting the sightseeing and tourism opportunities. Yet long working hours can highly restrict leisure and in particular tourism activities. Empirically, thi...
Increasing attention has been devoted in the literature to the popularity of nostalgic tourism, w... more Increasing attention has been devoted in the literature to the popularity of nostalgic tourism, which could be viewed as a separate form of tourism whose motivation is of a personal nature. Scholars have during the last few decades published research articles on nostalgic tourism from the perspectives of anthropology, sociology, psychology, management and marketing (Davis, 1979; Graburn, 1995; Wildschut, Sedikides, Routledge, Arndt & Cordaro, 2010). From a sociological point of view, nostalgia is defined as “a sentimental or bittersweet yearning for an experience, product, or service from the past” (Baker & Kennedy, 1994, p. 169). From an anthropological perspective, Graburn (1995, p. 166) commented that nostalgia tourism is travelling “with a wish for the past” and it is a personal effort meant to slow down one’s life cycle, to indulge in one’s earlier stage of life or as a way to counter rapid changes. Stern (1992) suggested that nostalgia can be reflected on one’s own identity, s...
Community participation has long been at the forefront of the sustainable development agenda. How... more Community participation has long been at the forefront of the sustainable development agenda. However, conflicts between communities and authorities over heritage conservation decisions have become a recurring heritage issue in recent decades. A major point of contention is the impact of proposed heritage projects on communities. Numerous case studies have shown that communities generally remain indifferent to heritage projects; but when they do react, they react at a very late stage, often taking drastic actions such as street protests or lawsuits, even when these projects are announced and public consultations are conducted in advance. Such indifference of communities towards heritage conservation negates the important tenet of community stewardship of heritage and allows the authorities to pursue a top-down heritage conservation approach. This paper uses Dawkin’s Selfish Gene theory – an influential theory originating from the field of evolution and biology that postulates that a...
This introductory chapter presents the research objectives of the thesis. It highlights its inten... more This introductory chapter presents the research objectives of the thesis. It highlights its intended contribution to knowledge and the originality of the work. It also outlines the structure of the thesis by giving a short overview of its eight other chapters. The intention of this thesis is to study a major Chinese Buddhist sacred site, to reveal how it faces the challenges of being not only a Buddhist pilgrimage site, but also a recreational destination. In particular, the thesis aims to reveal how Buddhist monks and nuns perceive receiving visitors and tourism, as well as to describe how the sacred site is managed from the point of view of visitor control. In today's China, since the religious revival that started some thirty years ago, the major Buddhist sites attract large numbers of pilgrims and tourists. For a study which intends to understand Buddhist pilgrimage and tourism in the context of China, it was deemed appropriate to select one of the Four Buddhist Sacred Mountains of China that are the most conspicuous religious destinations of the country. Pu-Tuo was selected because, of those four Sacred Mountains, it is the one most accessible to the public in terms of proximity to a large population living in neighbouring large cities; it is also the sacred mountain which records the highest number of tourist arrival among the four. According to the Pu-Tuo-Shan Tourism Bureau, Pu-Tuo received 5,255,800 visitors in 2008 (Pu-Tuo Government Tourism News 2008) while the other three sacred mountains had visitor arrivals all numbering less than three million. Pu-Tuo was also selected as the research site to reflect the challenges that other religious sacred sites in China are facing today. Pu-Tuo is in fact an island located in 11 explains that engaging in pilgrimages can be found in many religions, including Buddhism. According to some Buddhist scriptures, when Buddha Shakyamuni was alive, one of his ten disciples, Ven. Punna (富樓那尊者), took the initiative of travelling around to preach Buddhism in uncivilised and remote districts far away from his teacher. Ven. Punna was famous for his courage and for the fact that he understood the essence of Buddhism very well. When Ven. Punna asked for the permission from Buddha, his mentor, to preach in those faraway areas, Buddha asked him how he would handle it if he were assaulted, mauled or even murdered by those who lived in those rural districts. Ven. Punna replied that he would consider such occurrences to be fortunate because he could then practice what he had learned from Buddha, such as emptiness, tolerance and compassion. He further explained that whenever he felt tired, discouraged and needed new strength to carry on his preaching mission, he would come back to visit his venerable teacher, that Buddha's teaching would always be the best healing and strongest source of energy that could sustain his mission and his life (Bhikkhu, 1997; Hsingyun, 1959, pp. 84-86). From Ven. Punna's reply, it is obvious that the return to the Buddha, his Centre of the World, was a process of rebirth, a chance to renew his strength, to get fresh vigour from his teacher and other arhats (羅漢) brothers, monks who have freed themselves from the bonds of desires and illusions and will not be reborn in samsara again), and to spend some sacred time with them before going back to the mundane world. In effect, Ven. Punna was already talking about undertaking a pilgrimage as evidenced by his periodic return to visit the Buddha. 12 2.2 Buddhist Monasticism 2.2.1 The Birth of Buddhist Monasticism Buddhism is the dominant religion of the Chinese. According to the China Buddhist Association, over 50% of the population of China believes in Buddhism. China is the country with the largest Buddhist population (BDEA, 2008). Another statistical source provided by the "Adherents.com" reports that in 2005 China was the country with the largest Buddhist population. There were 360 million Buddhists in the world, of which 102 million lived in China (Adherents.com, 2008). The Chinese people had their first acquaintance with Buddhism through traders who came from Central Asia. It is widely believed that Buddhism spread into China during the first century A.D.
It is possible for laypersons to purchase a tour package allowing them to ‘cross the line’ and fo... more It is possible for laypersons to purchase a tour package allowing them to ‘cross the line’ and for a day or two ‘live as a Buddhist monk’ in some Chinese monasteries, with the result that they might intrude into the life of its religious members much more deeply than a simple visitor with some degree of religious interest would. This paper investigates whether visitors who had chosen to experience the life a Buddhist monk for a day or two in a Buddhist monastery were looking for the opportunity of experiencing some degree of “peak/extramundane experience”. In Buddhism, a peak/extramundane experience is meant to be a truly meaningful religious experience that is a step in the direction of enlightened. It is also a core objective, to a Buddhist practitioner, of undertaking a pilgrimage to and spending some time in a monastery. Yet lay visitors with various degrees of faith in Buddhism may have different purpose(s) for living for a while in a monastery. Each case can put the resident m...
ABSTRACT Since the theoretical lens of lifestyle mobilities was introduced, there has been a grow... more ABSTRACT Since the theoretical lens of lifestyle mobilities was introduced, there has been a growing interest in the role of mobility in weakening rigid binaries such as home/away and work/leisure. This article draws on this theoretical perspective to explore how sojourners in Macau blur spatial and temporal binaries in their adaptation to their new and temporary situation. Individual thematic interviews with 17 sojourners were conducted, revealing their choice of lifestyle as regards home/away and work/leisure patterns. Theoretically, the study demonstrates how once distinct spheres of social life such as ‘home, ‘away’, ‘work’, and ‘leisure’ are now highly integrated. Sojourners keep a sense of being ‘at home’ through upholding their habitual routine; simultaneously, they feel ‘away from home’ by partly adopting a local lifestyle and exploiting the sightseeing and tourism opportunities. Yet long working hours can highly restrict leisure and in particular tourism activities. Empirically, this study documents different types of lifestyles among Macau sojourners ranging from selective mobilisation of the local resources into a lifestyle attuned to their new temporary circumstances to almost exclusive concentration on work and cultural indifference to the new environment and the opportunities it offers.
Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes on... more Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person. Authors control the copyright of their thesis. You will recognise the author's right to be identified as the author of the ...
... about the person's needs based on non-verbal cues and/or pushing unwanted information on... more ... about the person's needs based on non-verbal cues and/or pushing unwanted information onto tourists because of a power imbalance between actors. ... Staff are assumed to have broadknowledge because all are local residents and many have taken tour guiding or other ...
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