Sacred sites are instrumental for religious and political authorities in initiating ideological change and stabilizing dominance. In her impressive monograph, Koppen explores such sites in the East Asian context, focusing on their identity struggles at the intersection of transregional and local cultures. She addresses this problem by comparing how sacred sites in Sìchuān (China) and Vietnam were repurposed as a result of ideological transfers from the Chinese Empire to its periphery, and how processes of rededication had to be negotiated with local beliefs and practices. Building on Kim Knott's spatial analysis of religion and power, Koppen develops an innovative methodological framework she terms “experiential architecture analysis.” This approach enables a comparative analysis of spatial reconfiguration strategies applied to the material structures and the symbolic repertoires of sacred sites. Four case study clusters indicate the distinct coping mechanisms that emerged in response to the pressure of Imperial China's expanding cultural hegemony. They illuminate the power dynamics unfolding between Mahāyāna Buddhism, (Neo-)Confucianism and indigenous, female-controlled traditions of hydrolatry. Koppen's study demonstrates how local cultures sought to safeguard their identities, thereby exemplifying pathways of resilience and preservation of cultural diversity under conditions of transregional duress. The book features a total of twenty images, including maps as well as historical and contemporary temple layouts. An online appendix provides full-length case studies and references. Koppen's work contributes to shifting the focus of religious studies from normative texts to the often-neglected ideological role of spatiality and its relation to the symbolic projection of power. Exemplifying outstanding scholarship, this volume is highly recommended for scholars of East Asian religion and culture, though Koppen's approach is readily applicable to the study of sacred sites beyond her regional focus.
Dominic Zoehrer (Mon,) studied this question.