Through the eyes of the Potala Palace: Difficult heritage and memory in Tibet

China's management of the Potala Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and symbol of Tibetan culture, serves as a tool for state-led narratives that undermine Tibetan identity. The study reveals how the palace, once a spiritual center, has been stripped of its religious significance and repurposed for tourism under Chinese control. This transformation, facilitated by heritage management strategies, alters collective memory and suppresses Tibetan culture. The research highlights the tension between cultural preservation and political appropriation, demonstrating how global recognition like UNESCO listing can be exploited to enforce state narratives over local heritage.

Vetter, J. (2020). Through the eyes of the Potala Palace: Difficult heritage and memory in Tibet. The iJournal: Graduate Student Journal of the Faculty of Information, 6(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.33137/ijournal.v6i1.35270