Imagining communities through friction in the World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang, Laos

Heritage conservation at Luang Prabang, Laos, serves as a dynamic arena where multiple national identities—French, Laotian, and Thai—are negotiated and reinforced through interactions with cultural others. Unlike traditional studies that link heritage to singular colonial or national narratives, this research reveals how friction between stakeholders reaffirms diverse identities simultaneously. French experts frame conservation within a civilizing mission, Laotians emphasize Laos' purity of Buddhism, and Thai tourists project their nation's modernity. The study demonstrates that heritagization is not only repressive but also creative, fostering evolving, dynamic identities through collaborative yet contentious preservation practices.

Bear, L., Feldman, J., & Avieli, N. (2021). Imagining communities through friction in the World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang, Laos. Tourism Geographies, 25(2-3), 450–466. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2021.1895297