Local Dynamics of Renegotiating Ritual Space in Northern Vietnam: The Case of the Dinh

Endres, Kirsten W.

doi:10.1355/sj16-1c

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Nonetheless, heroism has become an essential element of local narratives, as the Vietnamese seek to restore their kin bonds through patriotism. This process is congruent with phenomena that anthropologists have observed in recent years in Northern Vietnam (see DiGregorio 2007;Endres 2001;Endres 2002;Malarney 2002).…”

supporting

confidence: 88%

“…Among the most important means to this end are attempts to incorporate traditional aspects of ancestor worship into "a national religion" and policies of preserving historical sites. Local state agents are encouraged to apply for official recognition of commemorative sites for which they can prove an artistic and historic value or the historical or cultural character of the residing deity (Endres 2001(Endres , 2002. At the same time, villagers who want to reclaim their sacred spaces and to confer institutional significance on them try to obtain a "Certification of a Ranked Historical and Cultural Relic" (cong nhan di tich lich su van hoa).…”

Section: Canonization Of Heroes and "Certified" Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They encouraged their kin and fellow villagers to collect all existing written documents that might have historical value and contribute to the reconstruction of patriotic traditions on the island. Many recent ethnographic studies report that, following the relaxation in cultural policy and the revival of traditional religious practices in Vietnam, it became common for lineage representatives to invent or reinterpret life stories of spirits and to hire scholars to help prepare petitions (see DiGregorio 2007;Endres 2001;Ho Tai and Le Hong Ly 2008). In the spirit of this "commemorative fever" (Ho Tai 2001, p.…”

Section: Commemoration Of the Hoang Sa Flotillamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Commemoration and the State: Memory and Legitimacy in Vietnam

Roszko¹

2010

SOJOURN

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The commemorations of historical figures, both public and private, have become a powerful tool for politicians and historians in Vietnam to reconfigure the past, national heroes, and revolutionary martyrs. One of the state's commemorative projects is devoted to glorifying the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) soldiers, and preserving all temples and relicts related to their activities on Ly Son Island. This state project may be seen as a strategy to claim sovereignty in the face of competition from several nation states, including China, for control over the two archipelagos. Conversely, the Vietnamese state is also challenged by alternative accounts from the Ly Son people, who have introduced their own narratives. This essay analyses contestations over memory and the attempts of the Ly Son villagers to establish continuity with the past through their ancestors in order to demonstrate solidarity, patriotism, and their own prestige.

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supporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Canonization Of Heroes and "Certified" Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Commemoration Of the Hoang Sa Flotillamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Commemoration and the State: Memory and Legitimacy in Vietnam

Roszko¹

2010

SOJOURN

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“…5 of "building a progressive culture, imbued with national identity", local state agents are encouraged to apply for official recognition of commemorative sites of an artistic and historic value or the historical or cultural character of the residing deity, which they can prove have the potential to be included in the category of "cultural heritage" ( [22,23], p. 6). At the same time, villagers who want to re-claim their sacred spaces and to reaffirm their institutional significance try to obtain such a certificate which not only provides state recognition for the temple but also, like in the imperial past, enables people to worship their divinities in any way they wish; and it is also a source of personal consolation and communal pride.…”

Section: Then It Continuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Spiritual Homes to National Shrines: Religious Traditions and Nation-Building in Vietnam

Roszko

2011

East Asia

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As in China and Soviet Russia, religion in Vietnam was considered to be harmful superstition. However, a glimpse into the Governmental Gazette -Công Báo -displays the important transformation of the state's policy toward religion that became translated into national representation. While this article focuses on nationbuilding as a dynamic cultural process that leads to the promotion of selected religious practices as 'national heritage,' it also explores the state-society relationship beyond binaries. By looking at religious spaces and local communities I argue that in Vietnam religion is a powerful form of nation-building process and constitutes a creative space in which different actors exercise their agency beyond resistance and accommodation.Visitors to Vietnam might find themselves confused by the diversity of venerated spirits and gods who exist in multiple variations in many localities, dwelling in mountains, forests, rivers and the sea. Like saints worshipped by Catholic believers, many of those spirits were born as humans and their biographies were marked by unusual events. However, in contrast to Christian saints, in their earthly existence Vietnamese spirits were neither ascetic nor austere. Therefore, the visitors would be astonished to find that violent and enigmatic death that breaks the natural order, such East Asia (2012) 29:25-41

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“…A number of studies have recently drawn attention to the incorporation of socialist leaders into local pantheons in contemporary Vietnam as saints or tutelary deities (e.g. Endres 2001;Giebel 2001).…”

Section: The Home Place As a Generalized Image Of Belongingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Going Back a Long Way: ‘Home Place’, Thrift and Temporal Orientations in Northern Vietnam

Schlecker

2005

Royal Anthropological Inst

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This article draws attention to the deep sense of attachment maintained by Hanoi families to their ancestral villages or rural 'home places' (que). It explores both the emotional and material dimensions of these attachments against the background of a now-defunct system of state rationing in late socialist Vietnam. It is suggested that for urban dwellers the home place has become an image of human relatedness and belonging that has evolved along with and in response to state-socialist efforts of social integration. This image promotes a time orientation that had been discredited in Vietnamese state socialism. The latter defined thrift as a duty of families and individuals toward the progress of xa hoi ('society'). The experience of shortage and self-restraint in socialist states and the question of how collectivism affected customary notions of community have thus far remained mostly distinct research areas. This article seeks to bring both together within a single framework of analysis by drawing attention to the question of temporality. Vinh's home placeTogether with his younger brother and older sister, Vinh, 1 a retired schoolteacher, left Hanoi in the early morning hours to return to his home place (que). The three were the oldest, most immediate, descendants of their family who had remained in Northern Vietnam. The journey took them not further than to a village in the neighbouring province of Bac Ninh. Descending a steep path to a field of high-grown shrubbery, they reached the cemetery of their native village. The area was swamped and they had to climb over large stone blocks, covered by weed, to get to the family's grave. Vinh's sister, who was clearly more knowledgeable about ritual matters than her two brothers, distributed joss sticks.Having concluded the commemorative ritual, the three entered the village and called at the house of a cousin. Together with him, they visited the local pagoda, which had been severely damaged by flooding. Vinh was shown around by a monk who explained the extent of the damage. He was then guided to a nearby wooden structure, which was to become the new pagoda. He and his younger brother sat down together with the highest-ranking bonze and a representative of the People's Committee. Following a brief exchange of polite phrases, Vinh began to pull out bundles of 50,000 dong notes, the

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Local Dynamics of Renegotiating Ritual Space in Northern Vietnam: The Case of the Dinh

Cited by 17 publications

References 9 publications

Commemoration and the State: Memory and Legitimacy in Vietnam

Commemoration and the State: Memory and Legitimacy in Vietnam

From Spiritual Homes to National Shrines: Religious Traditions and Nation-Building in Vietnam

Going Back a Long Way: ‘Home Place’, Thrift and Temporal Orientations in Northern Vietnam

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