Danzhou, Hainan

Danzhou, located in western Hainan, once a peripheral "land of miasma" in the dynastic narratives of the Song Empire, has transformed into a contemporary frontier where ecological healing and cultural consumption deeply intersect. This region is not only a repository of diverse ethnobotanical resources but also a profound cultural landscape centered on the legacy of Su Dongpo. When Dongpo’s philosophy of "transcendence" (Kuangda) meets the humid, tropical environment of the south, a cultural experiment unfolds regarding bodily management, intangible heritage transformation, and value appreciation.

From the perspective of medical anthropology, the work of University of Chicago Professor Judith Farquhar on the body, medicine, and biopolitics provides a crucial dimension for our understanding of Hainan. Su Dongpo’s resistance to "miasma" (Zhangqi), his identification of Li ethnic herbal medicines, and his regulation of daily diet and living were not merely survival tactics; they constituted a "rhetoric of the body." In Farquhar’s framework, the body is not just biological but a product of history and culture. Here, we explore how Su Dongpo adjusted his Northern literati bodily experience to the tropical natural rhythms through public health advocacy and water management.

In the contemporary landscape of Hainan’s cultural tourism, the theory of the "Economy of Enrichment"(Enrichissement), proposed by the French sociologist Luc Boltanski and Arnaud Esquerre, offers a sharp tool for examining Su Dongpo’s status as "heritage." Boltanski argues that modern capitalism creates value by unearthing history and exploiting the "past," where the construction of an "ancestral persona" (personnage ancestral) is paramount. In Hainan, Su Dongpo is no longer just a poet; he has been reconstructed as an ancestral figure capable of linking landscapes, intangible heritage, and local identity. Through the "enrichment" of symbols like the Dongpo Academy and the traditional bamboo hat (Dongpo Li), the tourism industry transforms historical sediment into consumable narrative value.

This season’s theme, "Resonance of the Sea and Mountains," aims to guide students through medical anthropologyand sociological narrative critique to explore the following profound inquiries:

• Senses and Healing: Drawing on Farquhar’s theories to investigate how the tropical environment intervenes in bodily perception, and exploring the bodily practices behind Su Dongpo’s "transcendence."
• The Enrichment of the Ancestor: Applying Boltanski’s perspective to observe how Su Dongpo, as an "ancestral persona," is embedded in contemporary tourism narratives and heritage development, questioning how cultural value is "enriched" and converted.
• The Vitality of Objects: Examining how material carriers—from ancient Li brocades to Dongpo cultural memorabilia—serve as intermediaries seeking a balance between "public health" and "cultural premium."

This is not merely a field study through rainforests and ancient ruins; it is a profound dialogue unfolding in the tropical sea breeze, contemplating how humanity navigates environmental change through bodily adaptation and cultural production.