02293nas a2200277 4500000000100000000000100001000000100002008004100003260000800044653002200052653002200074653003000096653002100126653002000147653002700167653001900194653003300213100001300246700001600259700001500275245018600290856014400476490000700620520136800627022002001995 2021 d coct10acultural heritage10aCollective memory10aMiao (hmong) ethnic group10aOral performance10aRitual practice10aSorcery and witchcraft10aState presence10aXiud yax lus qim (yalu wang)1 aChao Guo1 aHuijuan Hua1 aXiwen Geng00aIncorporating Folk Belief into National Heritage: The Interaction between Ritual Practice and Theatrical Performance in Xiud Yax Lus Qim (Yalu wang) of the Miao (Hmong) Ethnic Group uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85118869281&doi=10.3390%2frel12100899&partnerID=40&md5=2f728f33278abbe58b48b1a6c77147d50 v123 aXiud Yax Lus Qim or Yalu wang (Ode to the King Yalu) is a type of oral performance inherited verbally and transmitted orally by dongb langf (donglang), chanters of Yalu wang) at funerals and festive occasions. As one of the most representative cultural sets of the Miao (Hmong) ethnic group located in southern China, Yalu wang is embedded in Miao sorcery beliefs and practices, and serves as a vehicle to unite the community and maintain the identity of the ethnic group. However, since Yalu wang was “discovered” as a heroic epic by scholars in 2009 and entered the government’s “List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage” two years later, different agencies have been vying to appropriate its cultural resources. Not only do local government authorities use it as a tourist attraction, stage performances have also produced various versions of Yalu wang to portray an emblem of what are presumed to be “authentic Miao cultures”. This article explores the interactive relationship between Miao sorcery and folk traditions in the oral performance of Yalu wang and their enactment and re-enactment in theatrical performances under the aegis of a state-endorsed tourism policy. In so doing, the discussion sheds new light on the bidirectional dynamics that not only remold the style of performing culture, but also facilitate religious synthesis. a20771444 (ISSN)