The Reconstruction of Identity
Changes resulting from renovation policy (doi moi) in 1986 in Vietname lead to reinvention of public religious life through official permission, thus providing space for a revival of ancestral worship ceremony in royal temples of Nguyen Phuc clan who were once royalty in Vietnamese monarchical society from 1802-1945. Especially after UNESCO’s proclamation of Hue as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1993, many local cultural forms have been revived and portrayed as a representation of Hue identity by state agencies for tourism. Many forms of royal culture such as architecture, art, costumes, cuisine and royal ceremonies were renewed and highlighted as representative of Hue culture. From the perspective of clan members, the rituals of Nguyen Phuc clan in royal temples are unlikely to be performed for tourists. However, tourists remain a significant force in the process of negotiation of Nguyen Phuc clan and the revival of ritual ceremony as well as the expression of their identity
Publication date : July 2007
Price : 180 Baht / 7 US$
- THEME
- Ethnic Politics