UNESCO World Heritage Sites: shared shrines or contested sanctuaries? The case of the Buddhist temples of Luang Prabang, Laos

Buddhist temples in Luang Prabang, Laos, inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1995, represent 'shared shrines' or 'contested sanctuaries,' reflecting intersecting cosmological perceptions. These include local Laotian Buddhist beliefs, the state's modernist vision, and Western heritage narratives tied to colonial nostalgia. Long-term ethnographic research since 2006 reveals ongoing debates among locals, officials, and tourists over rituals, time, and material culture, creating a fragile balance of conflicting cosmologies. The study highlights how these sites become ambiguous spaces where harmony is temporary, shaped by divergent worldviews.

Bear, L., Avieli, N., & Feldman, J. (2020). UNESCO World Heritage Sites: shared shrines or contested sanctuaries? The case of the Buddhist temples of Luang Prabang, Laos. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 16(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873x.2020.1759609