Remembrance of the Boatmen

Hanyu Tan

Cities are both historical and cultural phenomena and this makes urban modernization inseparable from culture. By extension, urban culture is the foundation of modernization and serves as the temperament of the city. Each era blazes its own trail within the confines of a particular city. In order for human civilization to progress, it is integral to protect the continuity of history, preserve the memory of the city, and never cede the valuable historical and cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is the witness of the development of human history. It can reproduce the folk customs of predecessors, dynasties or ancient times. Furthermore, it is an organism that lives in a specific historical period and represents a unique artistic achievement and natural style.
Together with rapid urbanization, China has made significant developments over the past two decades. Despite this, many cities and regions have neglected their historical and cultural heritage, refusing to protect their patrimony.

Remembrance of the Boatmen is a narrative animation about Chongqing, China in the 1950s. It depicts a scene of the old wharf in the city and what life was like for boatmen there. In doing so, it demonstrates the intangible cultural heritage of the country through "ChuanJiangHaoZi"(labor song)on the verge of disappearing.
By raising the question of how our cultural histories affect our cultural identity in this rapidly changing society in which we live, the goal of the project is to give people an insight into the importance of remembering the past of their ancestors and what molded them into the people they became. This is the only way we can preserve our sense of self as a culture.

Chaotianmen Dock is a major water transportation hub in Chongqing, where Jialing River and the Yangtze River meet. It is also the landmark and a must-visit attraction of Chongqing. Chaotianmen was built in 314 BC as a city gate. In ancient time, local officials knelt down to receive the emperor’s decrees in front of the gate. The emperor was considered the son of the heaven in that time, so the place is called Chaotianmen, meaning “towards the heaven gate”.

A “living fossil of Yangtze culture,” the songs of the Chuanjiang Haozi are a vital, albeit intangible component of the Chonqqing area heritage. This term is deemed to have derived from the nomenclature, “chant,” as a more apropos term, according to purists, to “chanty.” It is applicable to labor songs, that are linked with boats, complete with repetitive tempos that facilitate regulation of the pace of manual tasks.


About
Hanyu Tan is a UI/UX designer,currently living in New York. Her specialties including user experience design, Visual design and landscape architecture. She is passionate about creating comprehensive designs and constantly looking to learn new things every day.
Hanyu Tan is a UI/UX designer,currently living in New York. Her specialties including user experience design, Visual design and landscape architecture. She is passionate about creating comprehensive designs and constantly looking to learn new things every day.
Thesis Faculty
Aya Karpinska
Louisa Campbell
John Roach
Barbara Morris
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