The Invention of Tradition in China

<p>In China heritage projects are sprouting across the countryside carrying the promise of Xi Jinping���s ���Chinese dream��� as a call for the great revival and rejuvenation of the nation. This book unravels the workings behind these promises through the story of remaking Meili a Dong ethnic minority village nestled along the margins of China into a ���Traditional Village��� heritage site. In a past riven by deep political and societal disruptions Meili becomes a medium for contesting mediating and continuously inventing representations of tradition that aligns with the Chinese Communist Party���s mission towards continuity and stability. The outcome is an original depiction of the compromises that shape heritage-making in a rural ethnic corner of China. Filled with rich fine-grained narrative and analysis Suvi Rautio offers a unique lens to the politics of inventing tradition and its far-reaching consequences in steering China's national identity under Xi Jinping rule.</p>