Intangible cultural heritage and peace building in Indonesia and East Timor: Birgit Bräuchler

Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, exemplifies the complex interplay of nostalgia, tourism, and material preservation. This study reveals how diverse groups—including local elites, expatriates, tourists, and UNESCO experts—contest and shape the town's heritage landscape, each with distinct agendas and influences. Nostalgia serves as both a resource and a political tool for preservation agents, investors, and tourist companies, while the town is perceived differently by its inhabitants and visitors, ranging from an 'Indochinese Oxford' to a 'damned town.' The research employs anthropological methods to explore this intricate scene, highlighting how modernity, tourism, and nostalgia create dilemmas that are experienced and contested in various ways. This analysis underscores the hybrid nature of heritage sites, where disconnected groups collectively produce a shared heritage despite their divergent perspectives.

(Ed.). (2012). Intangible cultural heritage and peace building in Indonesia and East Timor: Birgit Bräuchler. Routledge Handbook of Heritage in Asia, 166–180. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203156001-18