作者: Robert J. Shepherd

Robert Sheperd holds a Ph D in Cultural Studies from George Mason University and has been an assistant professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at George Washington University since 2006. Before earning his doctorate he served in the Peace Corps in Nepal, worked on UNDP projects in China and Indonesia, and taught at a national university in Taiwan; in total he has nine years experience living and working in the Asian region. His research focuses on cultural issues in post-Mao China, particularly the relationship between state development projects, domestic tourism promotion, and heritage projects. He aims his written work at both a multidisciplinary audience and, where possible, a non-academic audience. For the past four summers he has conducted fieldwork at Mount Wutai, a World Heritage site in Shanxi Province, China, where he has studied the process of heritage development, its impact on religious practice, and local responses.