Chapter 4 State Appropriation of Society
Refashioning the Miao through a Public Display of Christianity
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Abstract
This chapter details the establishment and significance of a Miao Village built in the Yunnan Ethnic Theme Park. Statistically, few of the Miao are Christian, but this park has adopted the church to serve as a representative symbol of the Miao people. This case reveals the cultural appropriation of Christianity resulting from the complex interactions among the entrepreneur of the theme park, provincial officials, church leaders, and park employees of various ethnic backgrounds. Though not officially registered, the church inside this theme park has a full-time trained clergyperson and functions as a site of worship for workers at the park. This study further details how Miao church choirs, which have gained fame through winning numerous choral competitions organized by governmental agencies, have led to the further merging of the Miao ethnicity with Christianity in the popular imagination.