Zhao Mu: The Presence of the Past in the Meaning(s) of Space in Confucius’ Graveyard

The idea of heritage in China has been dominated by the Authorised Heritage Discourse, in which the authenticity of material tends to be over-emphasised in the management of heritage sites. This paper seeks to elaborate the intangible ‘sense of space’ as an alternative form of heritage by blurring the boundaries between intangibility and physicality. We explore the space in the Cemetery of Confucius, a World Heritage Site, to demonstrate how Confucian values are perpetuated in the spatial intersection between past and present, the living and the dead, the tangible and the intangible. Spatial meanings are embedded in the form of mounds, stone tablets, and clusters of tombs (Zhao Mu) and are ritually observed to adapt to ongoing changes in kinship relationships and the political context, and to nurture the virtues of filial piety and loyalty. Today, the ways of managing space can still be traced back to the time of Confucius, although material forms have changed with the course of nature and the changing life of the Kong clan. But this heritage practice is now being challenged by modern discourses about heritage. We argue that the ancient meanings that are constantly negotiated within the present context are the core values that need to be interpreted, understood and preserved in the conservation of this heritage site.