From a traditional folk dwelling to a provincial-level cultural relic protection site - changes in the names and social memories of supervisory censor sun’s former residence

Abstract

This is a qualitative study that examines the changes in the name of the Supervisory Censor Sun’s Former Residence in the context of its history from the Ming Dynasty to the present day, and the transformation and significance of the social memory of the Residence as it has changed under different social systems. The researcher used Maurice Halbwachs’ social memory theory to explain the social memories about the Residence from the Ming Dynasty to the present. Data were collected from the review on local literatures in Lianjiang County, a field study of the Residence, and interviews with key informants who used to live in the Residence. It is shown that the Supervisory Censor Sun’s Former Residence signifies power. The changes in the Residence name are closely related to changes in the social system. The Residence shapes different social memories under different social systems, and the social memories about the Residence have been constantly transformed with the development and change of social systems.