The drums beat, an old man in a grand robe mutters incantations and three brides on horseback led by their grooms on foot proceed to the Naxi Wedding Courtyard, accompanied, watched and photographed the whole way by tourists, who have bought tickets for the privilege. The traditional wedding ceremonies are performed for the ethnic tourism industry in Lijiang, a World Heritage town in southwest China. This book examines how heritage interacts with social-cultural changes and how individuals perform and negotiate their identities through daily practices that include tourism, on the one hand, and the performance of ethnicity on the other. The wedding performances in Lijiang not only serve as a heritage 'product' but show how the heritage and tourism industry helps to shape people's values, dreams and expectations. This book also explores the rise of 'romantic consumerism' in contemporary China. Chinese dissatisfaction with the urban mundane leads to romanticized interests in practices and people deemed to be natural, ethnic, spiritual and aesthetic, and a search for tradition and authenticity. But what, exactly, are tradition and authenticity, and what happens to them when they are turned into performance?

Yujie Zhu is a Lecturer at the School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University. He is the co-editor of Politics of Scale and Sustainable Tourism Management at World Heritage Sites.

Table of ContentsPrologue: Somewhere in Time Introduction Lijiang Old Town and the Naxi Ethnic Tourism in China Cultural Heritage in China Romantic Consumption Authenticity, Authentication, and Customization Why the Naxi Wedding Courtyard? A Note on the Method Theatre of the Book Chapter 2 Stage Reconstructing a World Heritage Site The Development of Mass Tourism Becoming a Town of Romance Transforming into a Capital of Love Affairs (Yanyu) Creating a Cultural Theme Park ConclusionChapter 3 Scripts Dongba as Religious Practitioners Transformations of Dongba Practices since 1949 Traditional Naxi Wedding Current Marriage Customs in Lijiang The 'Dongba Wedding' in the Courtyard Conclusion Chapter 4 Local Actors The Manager Mr. Liu The Dongba Fuhua The Adviser Prof. Ming The Moderator Mei The Dancer Chao Locals' Responses: Hope and Frustration Conclusion Chapter 5 Guests The Honeymooners Vincent and Lulu New Lijiang Residents Tony and KittyHe Gang from Naxi Mama Foreign Tourists Marina and Johnson Conclusion Chapter 6 After the Show Wandering Between Dream and RealityEmbracing New HomeResistance, Coping and DepartureConclusionChapter 7 ConclusionRomantic Consumption and CustomizationGlobal Significance of a Local CourtyardEpilogue: The Show Must Go OnBibliography