Date of Award
8-29-2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Heritage Studies, Ph.D.
First Advisor
Marcus Tribbett
Second Advisor
Lauri Umansky
Committee Members
Carmen Lanos Williams; Edward Salo
Call Number
ISBN 9798380150835
Abstract
Nianyefan (the reunion dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve) is an essential part of the celebration of Chinese New Year. This study focuses on the transformation of nianyefan in the middle and south of Shandong during the past four decades with the purpose of discovering and interpreting the interactions with the changing social, political, and economic dynamics since the 1980s. The study found that the reforms since the 1980s have diluted the authentic feel of nianyefan in the middle and south of Shandong, while the culture of nianyefan is not simply passive but actively responds to them. It begins with the memory, myth, and history around the table of nianyefan, demonstrating that nianyefan is not merely a family reunion dinner but represents the continuity of the cultural heritage that has helped shape and remold the Chinese cultural identity. Next, the study explores the history, culture, and transformation of lu cuisine, the traditional dishes of nianyefan in Shandong, underlining how lu cuisine was formed and continuously evolved, and how the transformation reflects the specificity of Chinese modernity during the reform era. The fourth part examines the rituals around the table of nianyefan, focusing on the complicated encounters between the secular and sacred world, materialized and spiritual needs, and tradition and modernity in the reform era. The fifth part studies the gender roles of nianyefan, demonstrating the complicated interplays between the received interpretation and ideals of femininity and masculinity echoed by power relations and the everyday practical experience of people in Shandong. The final part recorded the voices of interviewees who experienced nianyefan under COVID-19, aiming to get an inside perspective into how the pandemic affects people’s cultural experience, what their attitudes towards the unexpected changes, and what further impact will be on nianyefan in the post COVID-19 era.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Shi, Ximai, "Around The Table of Nianyefan: Transformation of Lu Cuisine, Rituals, and Gender Roles in the Mid and South of Shandong Since the 1980s" (2023). Student Theses and Dissertations. 158.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/158
