ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Taiwan’s practice of baocun weihu jihua, a Mandarin term roughly translating as “preservation and maintenance action plans.” They are the latest in a string of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) initiatives undertaken in Taiwan since 1982, and the term has become particularly popular in government ICH preservation projects. Drawing on the experience of drafting the action plan for khai-lōo kóo, a musical genre performed by a group that leads religious processions and pilgrimages and plays at temple fairs, this chapter addresses the nature and importance of baocun weihu jihua in the context of Taiwan. It then illustrates ways of collaboration among researchers, culture-bearers, and officials to sustain the value of this tradition. Taiwanese ICH policy and practice have attracted little scholarly attention, yet they are crucial components of Taiwan’s sense of identity and self-promotion in an era that places a premium on locally based cultural forms. This chapter suggests that Taiwan’s ICH practice is undergirded by precedents from Japan and South Korea and adopts some ideas from UNESCO, while treats its ICH protection measures with a flexibility that derives from each individual situation, rather than employing a framework imposed by an outside entity.
