The Dai ethnic group in Xishuangbanna of China and the Thai people in northern Thailand are related to each other based on their ethnic origins and cultures. Therefore, their life aesthetics are very similar, especially with regard to the art of Buddhist temples. As the policies of the intangible cultural heritages of China and Thailand advocate localization, how do the Dai and Thai people interpret their traditional culture under a similar cultural context? This is the research problem of this study. The article is based on qualitative research, taking Buddhist temple art in the Dai Park of Xishuangbanna and Chiang Mai Old City as the research samples. The purpose of the study is to explore what is meant by "traditional culture" from the perspective of intangible cultural heritage. The results show that the artistic styles of the Buddhist temples in the Dai Park and Chiang Mai Old City are very similar, highlighting the shared culture among Dai–Thai ethnic groups; however, they both claim that their local culture is a "traditional culture" that differs from other Tai cultures. This phenomenon not only reflects the national identities of the Dai and Thai people but also represents a change in the meaning of traditional culture, which has become a kind of local identity, leading to the definition of traditional culture being diversified.

Authors:
Ya Liang Chang, Huanggang Normal University, China

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Ya Liang Chang is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at Huanggang Normal University in China

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