Abstract
This paper examines the construction of ethnic identity and the expression of ethnicity among the Tai Lue of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, by focusing on the dynamics of inter-ethnic relations between the Tai Lue and the Han since the establishment of the People's Republic of China. After the liberation, all factors in Tai Lue society considered as feudalistic were thoroughly dismantled and reorganized in a socialist mold. As a result of process, the Tai Lue faced a great crisis in maintaining their cultural identity. In addition, the radicalism during the Cultural Revolution further severely suppressed their ethnicity. However, the development of the market economy since the 1980s, including the extension of inter-regional linkages and cross-border networks, has brought new possibilities in the promotion of Tai Lue ethnicity.
