Cultural Diversity and Ecology:
Building Yunnan Ethnic Cultural and Ecological Communities
Yin Shao Tin (China)
Yin Shaoting is professor and curator at the Anthropology Museum of Yunnan University of
China. His main research interests include ecological anthropology, anthropological museum,
cultural heritage protection etc. Between 1990-1996, he was guest researcher and professor
respectively at the National Museum of Ethnology, Kyoto University and the Tokyo
University of Foreign Language in Japan. Recently, he has conducted several research
projects, including establishment of cultural ecological village of Yunnan ethnic groups, study
on human ecology in Mekong River region and comparative studies on the ecology of ethnic
groups in southwest China. His recent publications include Yunnan Material Culture —
Farming, Part I and II (1996), Swidden Cultivation in Yunnan (2000), People and Forest —
Yunnan Swidden Cultivation in the Perspective of Ecological Anthropology (2001).
Today, traditional cultures and ecologies have been disappearing at growing rate in every part
of the world due to the globalization. Under such circumstances, how to preserve cultural and
biological diversity has become humanity’s major concern.
From September 1998 to January 2005, “Building Yunnan Ethnic Culture Cultural and
Ecological Communities” project was carried out in Yunnan Province with the support of the
Ford Foundation of the United States. Research staff of the Cultural Anthropology
Department of the Yunnan University selected five villages with different ethnic groups and
conducted field studies.
With the participation of the village people, various training
activities as well as exchange programmes with other villages were carried out. Support was
also provided for the construction of village museums and archives on traditional customs and
practices. The project made a major contribution in restoring traditional festivals and
ceremonies, maintaining cultural heritage and enhancing the preservation of ecosystem of the
villages. Further, it has also provided peoples with self-pride and ownership for management
and development of their own villages.
The presentation will introduce the major outcomes of the project carried out in five Yunnan
villages, which represent 6 years of efforts in pursuit of sustainable and balanced social,
cultural, economic and environmental development in respect of cultural and biological
diversity.