List of Acronyms and Abbreviations Author's Note Acknowledgements 1 Introduction - Heritage, State, and Politics Being Revolutionary, Being Lao Constructing the People's Democratic Republic Socialist Ideology - Capitalist Politics Nation State Fragility Cultural Intimacy of/in Laos Heritage With an Agenda Future Building in Laos Rising China The Book Future Directions References 2 Making the Past (Dis)appear: Heritage as Legitimacy in (Re)creating Luang Prabang Luang Prabang and the Creation of Nostalgia Dealing With 'Difficult Pasts' at the National Museum Heritage and Almsgiving 'We Don't Talk About It Openly': Timelessness and Silence An Economy of Selective History A Suitably Idealized Past Conclusions: Heritages and Future Directions References 3 Hmong (Forever) on the Margins: Crypto-Separatism and the Making of Ethnic Difference Ethnicity in Laos Dreams of Hmong Statehood and Zomia 'We Are Hmong' Difference as Belonging Zomia as a Persistent Alternative Conclusions: Reproducing Societal Inequality? References 4 One World: One Dream: Voices of Pessimism, Strategies of Pragmatism and Facing the Rise of China 'One World: One Dream'? 'China Is Developed' 'We Will No Longer Have Jobs' Pessimism With Ambivalence: The New 'Things of the House' Final Thoughts - One Belt: Multiple Paths? References 5 Conclusion - Long Live the Revolution? Royal and Revolutionary Heritage Essentializing the State The Dynamics of Authoritarianism Difficult Heritages Difference as (Not) Belonging On China and Changing Laos Final Reflections References Bibliography Index.