Sacred Mountains in Thailand and Japan: A Comparative Study of Mt. Doi Suthep and Mt. Yoshino-Omine
Keywords:
Syncretism, Buddhism, Living Heritage, Sacred Mountains, ConservationAbstract
This article investigates the historical development of ritual practices at two revered mountains, Doi Suthep-Pui in Thailand and Yoshino-Omine in Japan. Situated along the Thongchai Mountain range, Doi Suthep-Pui has been a sacred site since the pre-Buddhist era, intricately woven into the cultural identity of Chiang Mai and the history of the Lan Na Kingdom. The region embodies a syncretic landscape where indigenous beliefs converge with Theravada Buddhism. Meanwhile, Yoshino-Omine, at the heart of Japan's earliest Buddhist civilization, integrates Shugendo Buddhism with Shinto beliefs. Drawing on fieldwork and secondary literature, this article compares the legends, myths, beliefs, and rituals associated with these sacred mountains. It also scrutinizes the impacts of state interventions in religious traditions, particularly in the context of modernization and national religious reforms, examining the divergent trajectories of Thailand and Japan in the post-World War II period. Engaging with theoretical debates about religious syncretism, the aim is to provide insights into how these interventions have differentially shaped the syncretic ritual practices of Doi Suthep-Pui and Yoshino-Omine. By contextualizing Doi Suthep and Mount Yoshino-Omine within a broader historical and conceptual framework, this article aims to elucidate the dynamic interplay between religious traditions, state power, and local agency in shaping sacred geographies. With Doi Suthep and its pilgrimage route listed on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage since 2015, Chiang Mai’s heritage authorities can draw many lessons about managing the syncretic living heritage of the mountain from a study of Yoshino-Omine, which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. To properly acknowledge the syncretic cultural landscape of Chiang Mai, I argue that Thailand needs to decolonize its approach to heritage interpretation and management.
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