1. Introduction
Globalization, as a complex process characterized by cross-border exchanges, involves not only the flow of goods and services, but also the spread of ideas, values and lifestyles. The trend of globalization has had a huge impact on traditional culture. In order to further demonstrate how globalization has changed the material culture and spiritual products of traditional villages, this project analyzes the profound impact of globalization on Hong Kong's walled villages and examines this phenomenon from the perspective of cultural geography. The cross-cultural interaction of globalization has had a profound impact on the local culture and identity of the walled villages. From a geographical perspective, urban development and Hong Kong's socio-economic changes have exacerbated the tension between modernization and cultural protection. Therefore, the study uses cultural geography theory to explain the transformation process in the study and uses the concepts of cultural landscape and locality to explain the complex interaction between globalization, local cultural practices and the evolution of the identity of walled village residents. The project then delves into how globalization reshapes local culture and social structure, illustrating the shifts in local values and community connections under its influence.
2. Cultural Geographical Perspective in Use
To find out the impacts on the Walled Villages, we will focus on the cultural geography perspective of globalization and investigate how the value of people and the traditional culture changed through globalization.
Globalization, which results from tones of cross-border exchanges, is a process of the movement of substance and spirit products without boundaries and affects every corner of the world.
From the cultural geography angles, geographical context and culture interacted with each other and produced traces. At the same time, the values of the residents and the geographical space interact to form cultural landscapes. When the context and the culture fluctuate, traces are constantly being produced. Thus, places are given new meaning in the production, conflict and fusion of traces.
Applying it to our project topic, globalization brings new sources to the Walled Villages, affects the production of traces by changing local people’s values and behaviours, as well as the traditional culture. New traces including material traces like electronic lantern with LED light and non-material traces like young people converted to Western religions and stopped attending traditional services are formed. Walled Villages, the place, are formed by a branch of new traces and the original meaning of it varies (Figure 1)
Figure 1.（Source: by the author）
3. Empirical Analysis
3a. Impact of modernization
1） Urban development --- Studied village：Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen
Nga Tsin Wai Village is the only aboriginal walled village that existed in urban Hong Kong after the 20th century. In its heyday, it was connected with six nearby walled villages, collectively known as the "Seven Neighborhoods of Ng Tsin Wai". However, with the development of the city, all six villages were converted into residential high-rise buildings or other comprehensive development facilities, leaving only Nga Tsin Wai Village. In urban areas full of high-rise buildings, there are still small and dense surrounding villages, forming urban villages.
Figure2: The scene of Nga Tsin Wai Village before demolition--- urban villages
(Source: https://www.ura.org.hk/tc/project/redevelopment/nga-tsin-wai-village-project)
Due to the backward facilities of the original village houses, it has been suggested by outsiders that they should be renovated to improve the quality of life. However, due to opposition from residents, no measures were implemented. Later, the walled village was gradually acquired by real estate developers and included in the government's reconstruction project to develop new towns. Even if it encountered strong opposition from residents, this centuries-old village could not escape the fate of reconstruction.
Nga Tsin Wai Village is the only walled village in the urban area with a history of more than 600 years. However, under the premise of urban development, cultural relics conservation is often ignored. The Antiquities Advisory Committee believes that the walled village has no heritage value, which is disappointing. Under the policy of blending the old and the new, only three cultural relics remain in the walled village, which did not consider the cultural value carried by this land.
2）Weak collective consciousness--- Studied village：The Tang Clan of Yuen Long's Walled Village
The village is surrounded by narrow streets and narrow alleys, and the distance between houses is close. The villagers help each other, so their relationship is harmonious, and they have a strong collective consciousness. During festivals, villagers gather to participate in regularly organized celebrations such as the Tin Hau Festival, they also making and sharing delicacies such as Poon Choi Aka Pen Ca.
However, with the development of urbanization, Hong Kong's population continues to increase. As old residents move out and residents move in, the originally close community relations become increasingly alienated. The young people of Deng family did not want to live with their parents and left the walled villages. The concept of big family in the walled villages in the past became a small family. Moreover, people with foreign surnames believe in Western religions and do not participate in traditional festivals. Although the old festival customs are continuing, the number of participants has gradually decreased, and the traditional sense of identity and participation has gradually weakened.
3）Invasion of foreign languages
Waitou dialect and Hakka dialect are the dialects of the original residents of Wai Village. Hakka was once the second most spoken language in Hong Kong, after Cantonese. However, with the popularity of Cantonese and the use of English and Mandarin in education. Also, speaking dialects can lead to discrimination. Young people in the surrounding villages are unwilling to learn and speak the dialect to integrate into society, leading to its gradual decline. Today, these two dialects are almost lost.
3b. Culture (Traditional Customs)
Apart from the values of people, the traditional culture in Walled Villages has also changed significant from past to now, due to different reasons. Some of the traditional customs are “Lantern Lighting Ritual”, “Distributing Simmer Pork” and “Spring and Autumn Ancestral Worship of Lineage”.
“Lantern Lighting Ritual” is one of the traditional customs that have been changed. From paper lantern with candle to electronic lantern with LED light because of decreasing in the production of traditional paper lantern and the globalization of the technology. From celebrating the newborn boys by lighting up the same number of small oil lamp with the number of newborn baby boys, to just lighting up a big revolving lantern. The place of holding the ceremony is moving from ancestral hall to the temple, the people who hold the ceremony is also changing from a male master to a nun as no one are willing to take over the ancestral hall. The declining number of people who producing traditional artwork, globalization of technological discovery and taking over ancestral hall are the main reasons leading to the change in “Lantern Lighting Ritual”.
Another traditional custom that has changed from time to time is the “Distributing Simmer Pork”. In the past, people in Walled Villages will distribute simmer pork in different festival, as simmer pork is traditional Hakka food. However, this ceremony in distributing simmer pork in festival are nearly missing in the recent years. The reason is that making simmer pork is very difficult and troublesome which people in Walled Villages are not willing to make this traditional Hakka food, and the ceremony of distributing simmer pork become distributing money. This led to a decline of traditional customs in Walled Villages.
Moreover, “Spring and Autumn Ancestral Worship of Lineage” is a festival that must celebrate in Walled Villages. All the resident in Walled Village will go up the hills to visit their ancestors. And in this festival, all the males will make poon choi and eat together at the bottom of the hill meaning “食山頭 eating on the hillsides”. However, females are not able to join these activities in the past, they are not allowed to eat poon choi with the males. But this have been changed in recent years, due to arising awareness on gender equality. As a result, the traditional of all males making and eating poon choi at the hillsides has been changed after the new values pop out.
4. Conclusion
In an
in-depth study of Hong Kong walled villages, we found that globalization, as a
complex process of cross-border communication, has had a profound impact on the
material culture and spiritual products of these traditional villages. Our
study reveals how globalization has reshaped the cultural landscape and social
structure of walled villages through the perspective of cultural geography.
Walled villages, once a strong fortress against foreign enemies, are now facing
the dual challenges of modernization and globalization. Urban development and
socioeconomic changes have not only changed the traditional customs and
community structure of walled villages but also led to the decline of community
connections and cultural practices. The impact of globalization is
multidimensional, which not only brings the risk of cultural homogenization,
but also provides opportunities for cultural innovation and
adaptation. Therefore, we suggest that the protection of cultural heritage
and the promotion of community participation should be strengthened in urban
planning and development strategies. Policymakers and urban planners must
recognize the value of cultural diversity in the context of globalization and
take positive measures to integrate cultural protection with contemporary
development strategies.
References