TY - JOUR KW - Contested heritage KW - Lady Phi Yen KW - Nguyen Phuc clan KW - heritagization KW - historical revisionism AU - K.N. Nguyen AU - Q.A. Phan AU - V.D. Mai AU - H.G. Dang AB - Le Thi Ram, or Phi Yen the Imperial Concubine as she is more commonly known, is a divisive figure in the folklore of Vietnam. The inhabitants of Con Dao Island have held Phi Yen in high esteem for many years because of her noble deeds in the nineteenth century. A memorial service was organized in her honour by the Con Dao community and was added to the register of Vietnam’s intangible cultural treasures in early 2022. However, this prompted debate about the veracity of the memorial service and the character being honoured. This study uses three theoretical frameworks to analyse the debates over whether to remove the commemoration of Lady Phi Yen’s death: contested heritage, heritagization and historical revisionism. The debate centres on two opposing camps: those supporting keeping the commemoration and those who do not. This research adds to our understanding of the debates surrounding Vietnam’s efforts to protect and promote its intangible cultural heritage and suggests directions for the future. BT - Millennial Asia DO - 10.1177/09763996231193203 N2 - Le Thi Ram, or Phi Yen the Imperial Concubine as she is more commonly known, is a divisive figure in the folklore of Vietnam. The inhabitants of Con Dao Island have held Phi Yen in high esteem for many years because of her noble deeds in the nineteenth century. A memorial service was organized in her honour by the Con Dao community and was added to the register of Vietnam’s intangible cultural treasures in early 2022. However, this prompted debate about the veracity of the memorial service and the character being honoured. This study uses three theoretical frameworks to analyse the debates over whether to remove the commemoration of Lady Phi Yen’s death: contested heritage, heritagization and historical revisionism. The debate centres on two opposing camps: those supporting keeping the commemoration and those who do not. This research adds to our understanding of the debates surrounding Vietnam’s efforts to protect and promote its intangible cultural heritage and suggests directions for the future. PY - 2023 T2 - Millennial Asia TI - Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Controversies over Contested Intangible Heritage in Vietnam Seen from the Case Study of Lady Phi Yen UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85173723245&doi=10.1177%2f09763996231193203&partnerID=40&md5=fc7bfefcaaf6ad35120341e7739cc9b2 ER -