Editorial - Cultural Values in the Making: Governing through Intangible Heritage

Integral to the emergence of any modern state, the preservation of the traces of national past has become a major prerogative of today’s governments, and China is no exception. A broad consensus now globally prevails on the a priori significance of “heritage” as a set of sites, constructions, and practices that deserve special treatment for their perpetuation and transmission. Taking shape mainly through the regulations of UNESCO, this “raison patrimoniale” (Poulot 2006: 16) is no longer just...