Faith in heritage: displacement, development, and religious tourism in contemporary China

摘要

This book is a scholarly response to media coverage in the UK of the forced removal of residents in China in the name of national development. The case in question, Wutai Shan, was different from previous news items describing displacement in China due to the type of development: a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The use of the term 'development' is purposeful both in this review and in the book, highlighting the arguments and contradictions surrounding the dichotomous discourse on heritage preservation and conservation. The main aim of the book is the analysis of religious heritage sites in use, which differ to their often dormant counterparts by being simultaneously preserved and yet socially constructed, active sites. The book employs ethnography as its primary method and throughout its chapters includes lively conversations on the subject of Wutai Shan. This ultimately allows the researched 'other' a voice.