Introduction: re-awakening the power of place: ancient philosophy and practice with current relevance for protected areas and conservation in Asia / Bas Verschuuren -- The Asian philosophy of protected areas / Amran Hamzah -- Sacred mountains in Asia: themes and implications for protected areas / Edwin Bernbaum -- Can world heritage status help protect sacred sites in Asia? / Alison Ormsby, Wendy Jackson and Shonil Bhagwat -- The sacred geography of Kyrgyzstan: an unrecognized network of community-conserved areas and traditional practices / Aitpaeva Gulnara -- Sacred mandala: protecting Bhutan's sacred natural sites / Liza Zogib, Khenpo Phuntshok Tashi, Tshewang Gyalpo, Sangay Dendhup, Riamsara Kuyakanon, Kelzang Wangchuk, Lopen Namgay Tenzin and Ngawang Gyeltshen -- Indian sacred natural sites: ancient traditions of reverence and conservation explained from a Hindu perspective / Rana P.B. Singh and Pravin S. Rana -- Interface between sacred natural sites and formal protected areas for biodiversity conservation in Nepal / Jailab Kumar Rai and Sudeep Jana -- Customary laws governing the sacred natural sites of the Xe Champhone Ramsar site in Lao PDR: implications for site management / Raphaël Glémet, Patricia Moore, Ketsana Phommachanh and Minavanh Pholsena -- Sacred natural sites in a legal context: a focus on the legal interpretation of the sacred/cultural heritage of the Dongaria Kondhs in India / Radhika Borde -- Forum Pekaseh in the management of Subak landscape of Catur Angga Batukaru, Unesco world heritage sites in Bali / Antoinette Royo, Wiwik Dharmiasih and Yunus Arbi -- The pa'oh's governance system and Kakku: implications for heritage conservation from Burma/Myanmar / Jonathan Liljeblad -- Kailash sacred landscape: bridging cultural heritage, conservation and development through a transboundary landscape approach / Abhimanyu Pandey, Rajan Kotru and Nawraj Pradhan -- Mount Fuji's history as a spiritual realm and means for its preservation / Toshih