Customer Reviews

Song and Silence: Ethnic Revival on China's Southwest Borders

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This book is interesting inquiry into the cultural revival of an ethnic minority in China - one that is not in conflict with state authorities.
Much of the book is written in the form of a research diary and travel report, including descriptions of places visited and interactions with local people. This probably makes the book more interesting and entertaining for many readers.
Through these interactions, travel, and learning of the minority language the author explores the ethnic revival of the Tai Lue People of Yunnan Province. Partly inspired by related ethnic groups in neighbouring countries, there is a revival and emergence of modern forms of music. The author also analyses state policies towards the culture of the ethnic minority and the development of the prefecture they inhabit as a tropical tourist destination for Chinese tourists. Both function to integrate the prefecture and the minority into China.
Unfortunately, even in this central topic of the book, some of the hypotheses seem to be based on stereotypes rather than proper research. The statement that the message from the state to ethnic minorities is to either enrich themselves "through self-commodification, or express other kinds of ethnic identity and create trouble for yourself with the police" (p. 37) seems to conform to common Western perceptions of China, but is not supported in the book. Later in the book the author describes expressions of "other kinds of ethnic identity", but police responses are lacking. It is thus not clear where the earlier statement comes from and it actually seems to be refuted by her own research.
Proper background research also seems to lacking in other parts of the book, including the section on Burma. The author suggests that the end of insurgencies has paved the way for exploitation of resources. In fact many rebel armies were largely financed by natural resource exploitation, which makes her suggestion appear questionable.