Observations on the Antiquities Trade in China: A Case Study of Xiamen's Antique Arcade
Sidney C.H. Cheung
215 x 140 mm , 22pp ISBN / ISSN : 978-962-441-128-7
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US$2.50
Observations on the Antiquities Trade in China: A Case Study of Xiamen's Antique Arcade In this paper, I describe the transformation of a village that produced and exported wooden furniture in Fujian and focus on the specific case of an antique arcade in Xiamen in order to shed light on the changing socio-cultural meanings of "antique." Given the changes taking place in mainland China, which have been brought about by its Open Door policy since 1978, it is important to understand how the definition of cultural relics has changed in different contexts. I will elaborate briefly on the definitions of antiques and cultural relics and seek to relate the discussion to how the antiquities trade reflects issues of social change in villages and urban development, especially adaptation by migrants flowing from rural areas to coastal cities in China.