06-05 Heritage in Motion: Restorying Chinese Pasts, Contested Presents, and the Future of Global Asias

Co-Chairs: Wuerxiya Wuerxiya and Thomas Jackson.
Wuerxiya Wuerxiya will introduce the presenters; Thomas Jackson will present closing remarks.

This paper explores the practice of Bai tie-dye textiles through exhibition, production, and circulation at the Bai Tie-Dye Museum in Zhoucheng Village, Yunnan. Through local museum narratives and Chinese intangible cultural heritage policy, traditional textiles are recontextualized for public display and tourist consumption. The presentation will focus on three key areas: the museum’s role in preserving tradition, the ICH inheritor’s efforts in transmitting skills, and the impact of tourism on craft production. Drawing on fieldwork in Dali, this research examines how local museums contribute to shaping Bai identity and sustaining intangible cultural heritage in contemporary China.