THE REVIVAL AND CONTINUITY OF LINGNAN ANCIENT VILLAGES THROUGH THE CASE OF DEYUNJU
Keywords:
Lingnan traditional villages, Cultural consciousness, Living heritage transmission, Micro-renovation, Sense of place, Culinary intangible heritageAbstract
In the contemporary landscape of rapid urbanization and modernization, traditional rural settlements frequently confront a binary dilemma: succumbing to standardization amidst urban expansion or undergoing cultural commodification through aggressive commercialization. Deyunjia, situated in Bijiang Village (Beijiao Town, Shunde District, Foshan), presents a compelling empirical model of sustainable rural heritage activation. By organically integrating traditional Cantonese gastronomy, adaptive micro-renovation of historic built environments, and living cultural memory, Deyunjia functions not merely as a renowned culinary establishment, but as a dynamic locus for cultural self-awareness, living heritage transmission, and adaptive conservation. Drawing upon theoretical frameworks from critical heritage studies and cultural geography, this paper examines how Deyunjia facilitates the re-articulation of local identity and sense of place. It demonstrates that embedding intangible cultural heritage specifically culinary arts and everyday customs into contemporary socioeconomic cycles fosters an endogenous mechanism for heritage preservation. The study illuminates a viable paradigm for rural revitalization where commercial viability and cultural authenticity operate in symbiosis rather than opposition.References
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