Living sacred heritage and authenticity in South East Asia

The key concept of authenticity, argues the author of this chapter, needs to be re-examined and adjusted in the era of globalization, particularly in relation to the category of living sacred heritage. Local cultural contexts are no longer isolated islands of thought and tradition; they are in fact ‘globalized contexts’ inhabited by communities and individuals conscious of their rights who may well resist the interventions of heritage professionals who are solely guided by the authorized heritage discourse. The heritage can no longer be seen as a static entity belonging in the past.