Bujang Valley:

Heritage, Archaeology, and the Making of Malaysia's Past

Bowen Liao, Department of Malay Studies, NUS

Date & Time: Wednesday, 17 September 2025 | 2.00-3.30pm

Venue: NUS FASS Research Division Seminar Room, AS 7 06-42. Shaw Foundation Building, 5 Arts Link, 117570.

Directions: To get to the Research Division Seminar Room, go to Level 6 of the AS7 Shaw Foundation Building and turn right after exiting the lift, going around the corridor past the washrooms. Turn left and you will see the Research Division Seminar Room directly ahead.

Chair: A/P Irving Chan Johnson, Department of Southeast Asian Studies, NUS

Registration

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About the Book

The Bujang Valley, in the northern state of Kedah, is one of Southeast Asia’s most important archaeological landscapes. For over a millennium, it served as a maritime crossroads linking the Malay Peninsula to wider Indian Ocean and South China Sea networks. Its temple foundations, inscribed stones, and trade goods reveal a cosmopolitan world shaped by merchants, pilgrims, and rulers from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Bujang Valley: Heritage, Archaeology and National Identity explores how this deep past has been researched, interpreted, and woven into Malaysia’s national story. The book traces shifts from colonial-era archaeological surveys to contemporary heritage policies, highlighting how changing political, religious, and cultural contexts influence what is preserved, celebrated, or forgotten. It examines debates over site management, public access, and the role of heritage in education and tourism, showing that archaeology is never just about the past—it is also about the present and the future. This talk introduces the book’s key themes, combining historical insight with questions that matter today: How do interpretations of the past shape national identity? And how can a site like Bujang Valley encourage Malaysians to see themselves as part of a long, interconnected history?

About the Author

Bowen Liao is PhD candidate at the Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore. His research interests include Buddhism in Malaysia, Malay(sian) religion and society, and China-Malaysia relations. He is author of the book Bujang Valley: Heritage, Archaeology, and National Identity (2024). His doctoral dissertation examines the development and transformation of Buddhism in Malaysia, with a particular focus on the making of Malaysian Buddhism(s).