Asia’s Heritage Trend

Book excerpt: Kim and Zoh bring together a team of contributors to analyse the role of heritage studies across Asia, and its impact on Asia and its constituent countries. Is there such a thing as ‘Asian heritage’? Is it more helpful to understand Asia as a single unit, or as a set of sub- regions? What can we learn about Asia’s present through its archaeology and heritage? Covering a wide range of countries, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, the contributors to this book address these key questions. In doing so they look at a number of critical issues, such as UNESCO World Heritage status, cultural propaganda, cultural erasure and difficult heritage. While addressing Asia’s past they also observe key issues within present- day Asia, further providing conceptual and practical insights into the methods that are being applied to the study of Asia’s heritage today. A valuable resource for scholars and students of Asian history and culture, archaeology, heritage studies, anthropology and religious studies.