ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the value of the ancestors and ancestor worship as a cultural concession used by the Chinese state to encourage the Diaspora Chinese to invest in China during the early years after the Open Door policy. During this period, it was also used by the Mainland Chinese villagers and the Diaspora Chinese as economic and cultural capital in their interaction with each other to establish communal ancestor worship in the emigrant ancestral villages. It can be divided into two phases. The first is from the 1980s through 2000, where the focus was on the socio-economic development and modernization of the emigrant villages. The second phase starts at the beginning of the twenty-first century, where the Mainland Chinese state has shifted the focus away from pursuing economic development to cementing social connections and bringing these Diaspora Chinese into its sphere of influence. To do so, it regards communal ancestor worship as an important emigrant village cultural heritage (qiaoxiang wenhua yichang, 侨乡文化遗产). This aligns with its cultural diplomacy policy to strengthen the relationships between China and the Diaspora Chinese communities in Southeast Asia and beyond. It utilizes collective memories and performative rituals of ancestor worship as important emigrant village cultural heritage. As such, the value of the ancestors has shifted to become a cultural icon.
