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Feudalism in the service of the revolution Reclaiming heritage in hue

journal contribution
posted on 2003-12-01, 00:00 authored by Colin Long
This article discusses the way the past is being reexamined in modern-day Vietnam, particularly through the medium of heritage. Hue, the old royal capital of Vietnam, provides the case study, as this city reflects the great themes and events of Vietnamese history over the last two hundred years, from the establishment of a unified nation under the Nguyen, through the imposition of colonial control, the devastation of war, reunification, and the establishment of communism, to the consolidation of an independent postcolonial nation. The importance of Hue's heritage is recognized in its status as a “world heritage” site. The author argues that Hue's heritage is, nevertheless, problematic for Vietnam's ruling communists, because to them it largely represents a regime—the Nguyen Dynasty—that was “reactionary” and that had sold out the country to the French. The apparent contradiction between the standard communist view of the Nguyen past and the value accorded to Nguyen heritage in Hue is resolved, the author contends, by recourse to the depoliticized practices of heritage preservation and tourist promotion.

History

Journal

Critical Asian studies

Volume

34

Issue

4

Pagination

535 - 558

Publisher

Taylor & Francis Ltd

Location

Abingdon, England

ISSN

1467-2715

eISSN

1472-6033

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal; C Journal article

Copyright notice

2003, BCAS

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