Affiliation:
1. Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University, Germany
Abstract
While the one-party state in Laos is nearly fifty years old, how is it possible
for people to still revere the former Lao royal family? What does this mean
for understandings of political legitimacy, heritage, and national identity
in contemporary Laos? This chapter covers critical points of Herzfeld’s
cultural intimacy model and shows that the Lao political system as it is
today has become part of the fabric of Lao culture and society. The context
of Luang Prabang, the former royal capital, is also introduced, as well as the
justification for choosing Luang Prabang as an excellent place to consider
how narratives of the past, present, and imagined futures intersect.
Publisher
Amsterdam University Press