Part 1

• “Warisan” or “Pusaka”? Shipwrecks: Authority and Legitimacy in the Politics of Heritage Dewi Kumoraith Negeri Rempah Foundation

  The Indonesian government has been strengthening its vision as a maritime nation by restoring collective memory related to maritime culture, one of which is by taking historical references. This study aims to examine how maritime cultural heritage represented by the shipwrecks was imagined and interpreted from the point of view of the local communities as opposed to the point of view of the state. Using qualitative methods, including participant observation and in-depth interviews, the study found that local communities understand and interpret what constitutes a heritage by differentiating into ideological and economic values interpreted through the word “warisan” (heritage) and “pusaka” (heirloom). These findings suggest that there is an issue of politics of heritage particularly authority and legitimacy in reconstructing identity through understanding of heritage. Without taking into account the local understanding of heritage, there will be policy implications that result in displacement in society.

• Esoteric Buddhist Heritage of the New Mataram Kingdom in Java Imann Lai The National Palace Museum, Taipei

  Indonesian heritage holds significant importance in a global context due to its rich cultural, historical and natural diversity, and its strategic position in “Spice Route” as a maritime crossroads facilitated the exchange of ideas, religions, and cultures between South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia and beyond. Esoteric Buddhism with its roots in India and further development in regions such as maritime Asia became part of this cultural exchange network. The transmission of Esoteric Buddhist teachings, rituals and art forms influenced the religious landscape of above-mentioned areas including Java.

  Esoteric Buddhism flourished in Java during the Sailendra kingdom (8th-9th Centuries) as evidenced by the construction of monumental Borobudur, an UNESCO World Heritage Sites, subsequently the Singasari and Majapahit dynasties, before the expansion of Islam are considered a golden age in which Hindu and Buddhism flourished. The period in between, the so-called new Mataram dynasty (929- early 13th century) is thought to have been devoted to Shaivism.

  By fathom the significance of the renowned bronze statuettes excavated from Nganjuk, near Kediri, Java, this paper revealed that esoteric Buddhism is continued to be practiced in new Mataram dynasty for at least nearly a century and that is not syncretic between Hinduism, Buddhism or indigenous beliefs in Java, but faithfully derived from esoteric Buddhist texts propagated from India along the “Spice Route” in different times.

  The Nganuk bronzes is reported nearly ninety bronzes being found yet until now the most comprehensive study of the topic only found images of fifty-four pieces of statuettes. With the aid of photos, mainly taken in 1914-1923 and searching of public and private collections in Indonesia, Europe as well as North America, the current author obtained eighty-seven images of Nganjuk bronzes, for the first time, a comprehensive picture of the discoveries is revealed accordingly. Through the method of art historical study of stylistic analysis and iconography demonstrated that there are indeed two groups of Vajradhatu mandala but they are not created at the same time as previously suggested. By comparing the two mandalas with medieval associated images preserved in Himalayan region, China and Japan, religious significance of Nganjuk bronzes has been shown, along with the profound knowledge of esoteric Buddhism practiced in the Mataram kingdom and the artistic achievements of ancient Javanese societies.

  This paper will further the understanding of esoteric Buddhism propagated along part of the “Spice Route,” also religious statues continued to have meanings today, important works of art are used by the Indonesian state to create and reinforce a sense of national history and national pride. In a global context, soft power is closely linked to cultural diplomacy efforts in Southeast Asia, which promotes a country’s culture, arts, and traditions to enhance its influence and appeal. In order to distinguish themselves and shape perceptions of their past and present, countries seek to preserve historical narratives and preserve heritage. Historical narratives and heritage preservation efforts are integral, countries seek to distinguish themselves and shape perceptions of their past and present.

• Echoes of Dutch colonialism in postcolonial Indonesia Remco Vermeulen Erasmus University Rotterdam

  After Indonesia declared its independence in 1945, the Netherlands tried to recolonize the
  archipelago through military aggression and half-hearted diplomatic treaties. Eventually the Dutch
  government was forced to transfer sovereignty to the new republic in 1949. In the following years,
  Dutch colonial structures, whether economic, legal or cultural, continued to influence and complicate
  the fragile relationship between Indonesia and the Netherlands. Only after the resolute
  nationalization by the Indonesian government of Dutch companies, repatriation of the last Dutch and
  Indo-Dutch citizens and the transfer of Papua New Guinea, the last Dutch possessions in the
  archipelago, the two countries could start building a new relationship as equals. The Netherlands
  sought new ways of staying connected to their former colony and keeping their legacy relevant
  through cultural collaborations and heritage exchanges, such as the opening of the Erasmus Huis, the
  cultural centre of the Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta, state visits of Dutch monarchs to Indonesia,
  the conservation of Dutch colonial buildings and heritage diplomacy efforts. Current debates
  unfolding in the Netherlands are on the one hand providing an increasingly complete understanding
  of Dutch colonialism in general, and particularly of Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia, and on the other
  hand leading to heated and often polarizing debates. Arguably, the Dutch are still finding ways to
  come to terms with the loss of their former main colony and the echoes of their colonial past.

Part 2

• China’s geopolitics of heritage Marina Kaneti National University of Singapore
• Heritage Politics from Below: Voices of the Spirit Mediums of the Practices Related to the Viet Beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms in Viet Nam Nguyen Thi Hien School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Arts, VNU_Hanoi Nguyen Thi Thu Trang Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

  The Practices related to the Viet Beliefs in Mother Goddesses of Three Realms (abbreviated as Mother Goddess worship) was inscribed by UNESCO’s 2003 Convention on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016. UNESCO’s inscription has created a new page in the history of Mother Goddess worship, especially for the practice of Len dong – a spirit possession ritual that is one of the main rituals related to Mother Goddess worship. Inscription not only transforms Lên ??ng in the eyes of the people and the State from a superstitious ritual into a practice imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity, but also provides agency and useful new tools to Len dong practitioners. Len dong practitioners derive strength from the UNESCO’s inscription of Mother Goddess worship to fight for their rights, for example, to be officially recognized as an official religon and to have “equal” rights with other religions. This article clarifies the heritage politics of the Len dong spirit mediums of the Mother Goddess worship and their means of creating soft power from the practice of Mother Goddess worship, struggling for legal recognition of their practice and for not de-contextualization of the Len dong ritual.

• Commemorating King Shun across border: heritage and development in contemporary Jiuyi Mountains, south China Yusheng Bai University of Bonn

  From a broken temple of King Shun to a popular touristic destination and pilgrimage site for Shun’s claimed descendants, the evolving history of Shun Temple and Mausoleum Complex is analyzed to investigate the interrelation of heritage and development, and its resulting impact on social and economic transformation in southern China’s Jiuyi Mountains. Since China’s Opening up in 1980s, local officials, scholars and Southeast Asian representatives of Chinese descent have been engaged in reviving the legacy of ancient King Shun’s southern inspection tour in Jiuyi Mountains, a periphery Yao ethnic township in Ningyuan county, southwestern Hunan province. Through diverse commemorative practices including restoration and expansion of the Shun Temple, organization of ceremonial rituals to Shun, and publications on “Culture of Shun”, those pioneer actors contributed to branding Jiuyi Mountains as the manifestation of King Shun’s sagehood and promoting the tourism industry to the wide society. In this process, not only was the temple listed as national historical site and the ceremony added to provincial and national heritage lists, but the decade-long efforts also led to the 2021 initiation of bilateral cooperation between Ningyuan, China and Luang Prabang, Laos. Nevertheless, overshadowed by the ancient glory of Shun, the recent past of Shun Temple as Jiuyi Academy is still part of the local community’s living memory. Based on archival and fieldwork sources, the study argues beyond a static view of heritage protection and instrumentalist discourses, and shows heritage-making process in Jiuyi Mountains as a combination of futuristic visions, selective interpretations and negotiated practices.

Abstract