Heritagization of an Islamic Site in China: The Mausoleum of Saʿd Ibn Abī Waqqāṣ in Guangzhou

Abstract: This paper presents findings from an ethnographic case study conducted at the mausoleum of Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ in Guangzhou, exploring the process of heritagization of religion at this site. The transformation of religious places into cultural heritage sites often involves a process of deprivatization, resulting in their conversion into public properties that are both secular and sacred. This study examines the creation, framing, and management of religious heritage through national and international heritage processes. It also explores how different actors appropriate and utilize secular heritage discourses for their own purposes, with a particular focus on the discourse carried by the New Silk Roads Initiative.