Re-carving meanings: negotiating social value and conservation in southwest China’s rock carvings

Heritage conservation of China’s rock carvings, such as the Thousand-Hand Guanyin at Dazu and grassroots repainting efforts at Anyue, actively reshapes social values tied to these sites. The study reveals that conservation practices—whether state-led or community-driven—are not neutral but dynamically redefine cultural meanings, blending religious devotion, aesthetic judgment, and institutional intervention. By analyzing fieldwork data, policy frameworks, and heritage theory, the research demonstrates how carved stone monuments retain 'living' significance, reflecting ongoing contestations over their ontological status and role in contemporary heritage regimes.

Gao, Q. (2026). Re-carving meanings: negotiating social value and conservation in southwest China’s rock carvings. World Archaeology, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2026.2626037