Vernacular Landscapes Building and Protection of Meme in the Dong Ethnic Minority Regions

Abstract

ObjectiveDeep obedience to ancestral traditions is a fundamental canon of ethnic self‐identification. Information transmitted by archetypes (language, rituals, art, social structure, and more) guaranteed the stability of collective memory. Ethnic identity for Dong people is an indisputable value that is above other moral and social values. In this study, the author analyzes the main ethnic markers of the Dong people's culture, raising questions about preserving the authenticity of ethnic cultural heritage.MethodsThe article presents an analysis of tangible and intangible artifacts, and their relationship with modern living conditions.ResultsThe article studies the transformation of the cultural heritage of southwestern ethnic groups in modern conditions and possible ways to preserve historical forms (memes) as a prerogative ethnocultural heritage of the Dong people.ConclusionThe problems associated with the development of the tourist infrastructure of the region are analyzed. The article presents how ethnic tourism commercializes traditions, weakening the true sacredness.