Internationalizing heritage: UNESCO and China’s Longmen Grottoes

UNESCO's World Heritage List plays a pivotal role in China's internationalization, particularly through its recognition of significant heritage sites like the Longmen Grottoes. This study reveals that the internationalization process is not merely about deregulation but involves complex interactions—collaboration, resistance, confrontation, and compromise—among states, communities, citizens, and global actors. The case of Luoyang demonstrates how tensions between universal internationalism, nationalism, and localism are managed through state-led developments. The research highlights that both globalization and internationalization can strengthen the state at multiple levels, challenging the notion of a zero-sum game in heritage preservation.

Dong Wang. (2010). Internationalizing heritage: UNESCO and China’s Longmen Grottoes. China Information, 24(2), 123–147. https://doi.org/10.1177/0920203x10369097