Heritage Production and Urban Locational Policy in Lijiang, China

Local government-led heritage production in Lijiang, China, serves as a tool for urban competitiveness and economic growth, yet faces significant resistance from residents. The study reveals how the Mu Palace, an invented heritage site, was strategically integrated into locational policies to attract tourism and investment, demonstrating the entrepreneurial role of local ruling elites in mobilizing heritage for political control. However, this process is marked by dissonance, as ordinary people contest state efforts, highlighting the complex interplay between top-down heritage management and grassroots opposition in China's urban development.

SU, X. (2010). Heritage Production and Urban Locational Policy in Lijiang, China. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 35(6), 1118–1132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2427.2010.01011.x