My research involves with two main areas. During my postgraduate study in Yunnan University, I did research on the religious life of Myanmar Kachin ethnic group. My fieldwork was done in Ruili, a border town of Yunnan. My research thesis touches upon issues of cross-border mobility, the dynamics between national identity and ethnic identity, and interactions among ethnic groups. Two journal articles and one book chapter on related topics are under review for publishing in Chinese-language literature.  

My current and doctoral research project revolves around the Dounan flower market in Yunnan. By following the commodity chain of fresh-cut flowers from growers to intermediaries to ultimate consumers and investigating the institutional structure of the marketplace, I aim to understand a couple of issues concerning multiple perspectives on the value of flowers, the strength between economy as a social institution and cultural practices in the Dounan marketplace, and relations of aesthetics and timeliness in the world of flowers. For this area of research, I write in English.