IN-PERSON ISTANBUL HERITAGE(S)
Abstract
This study explores how the tea culture of Wuyishan in China is continuously maintained and transmitted. Starting from the concept of living heritage (Poulios, 2008; Wijesuriya, 2016). This study examines local tea-related initiatives (such as tea culture events, religious rituals, social interactions, etc.) and through the mapping of the behavioral context and local social network of the local tea practitioners,reveals the continuity of the local tea social network structure. The results show that the negotiation of stakeholders around heritage is complex and situational, and is influenced by social exchange mechanisms. This analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of resource flows and power structure establishment in China’s intangible heritage. Utilising a living heritage and anthropological perspective, this study argues that these tea-related grassroots initiatives not only reflect continuity with the past, but also adapt heritage practice to contemporary contexts, underscoring the vitality of informal, people-centered processes in heritage sustainability.
Yingxi Zhang is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Humanities at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, affiliated with the CLUE+ Institute for Culture, Cognition, History, and Heritage. Her research focuses on “Living Heritage: Local Initiatives of Inheriting Tea Culture in China,” Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and participant observation, she explores how local communities engage in heritage practices, negotiate power relations. Her work contributes to critical heritage studies by challenging the authorized heritage discourse and advocating for a more inclusive, people-centered understanding
Gert-Jan Burgers is full professor in Heritage and History of Cultural Landscapes and Urban Environments at the Faculty of Humanities of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA). He directs the interfaculty VU research institute CLUE+ for Culture, Cognition, History and Heritage, with approx. 250 researchers from a range of disciplines from the Humanities, Religion and Theology, Science, Social Sciences, Law and Economics. Burgers is also coordinator of the Pan-european H2020 Marie Curie International Training Network ‘Heriland. Cultural Heritage and the Planning of European Landscapes’. Prior to this, he was director of the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (2012-2013) and Head of the Heritage and Ancient Studies departments of the same institute (2006-2013). In these capacities, Burgers’ mission has been to bring together researchers from a wide variety of academic disciplines, to jointly investigate scientific and societal challenges and to formulate strategies for addressing those challenges.
Dr. Cyril Tjahja is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities within the Art and Culture, History, Antiquity department at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam . With a rich interdisciplinary background, he specializes in design cultures, social innovation, and energy transitions, forging the intersection between design theory and societal change
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Wednesday 8th July, 2026