This article examines the evolution of mill districts in Shanghai and Mumbai across the 20^(th) century as cases of political heritage—in which the socio-spatial formations of factory and neighbourhood produced new m...This article examines the evolution of mill districts in Shanghai and Mumbai across the 20^(th) century as cases of political heritage—in which the socio-spatial formations of factory and neighbourhood produced new meanings of citizenship for the workers in each city.Using historical materials from the textile industry in each city,government reports,housing data,and secondary sources,this article first traces the origins of Shanghai’s textile industry in the 19^(th) century to its connections with Bombay’s textile mills,then examines the emergence of working-class neighbourhoods as they acquired distinctive patterns of tenement housing,shopfronts,and street life.The main finding is that despite clear differences in the two cities in terms of religion,culture,and politics,the‘mill district’became a socio-cultural formation central to the identity and memory of generations of textile workers in Shanghai and Mumbai.A concluding section examines the similar process in each city in the 21st century in which mill compounds and neighbourhoods were converted into high-end commercial real estate and sites for consumption and leisure.展开更多
In the name of conservation,many local governments in China have demolished and reconstructed their historic districts using pseudo-antique architecture as part of their commercial developments.While the destructive r...In the name of conservation,many local governments in China have demolished and reconstructed their historic districts using pseudo-antique architecture as part of their commercial developments.While the destructive reconstruction practice involves issues such as who plays the decisive role in defning authenticity in the targeted district considering the creativity and imagination entailed in reconstruction,few studies analyse the factors leading to changes in the interpretation of authenticity throughout the destructive reconstruction process.Through a discourse analysis on project portfolios and semi-structured interviews with government ofcials,project planners and Shuidong residents,this study investigates the interpretation and implementation of the national-level authenticity principles in the Shuidong Reconstruction Project in Huizhou,Guangdong Province.Narratives of authenticity in local heritage practices are constantly changing because of the shifting local politics and regulatory powers involved.The efectiveness of national-level authenticity principles at the local level relies largely on the establishment of sub-national heritage regulations and the authorisation of heritage,which draws inspections from upper-level administrations.This study reveals certain socio-political factors that afect the relationship between reconstruction practices and the interpretation of authenticity.The political and proft-oriented tendency of local heritage conservation practices in China demonstrates the mismatch between conservation ideologies and bureaucratic realities.展开更多
文摘This article examines the evolution of mill districts in Shanghai and Mumbai across the 20^(th) century as cases of political heritage—in which the socio-spatial formations of factory and neighbourhood produced new meanings of citizenship for the workers in each city.Using historical materials from the textile industry in each city,government reports,housing data,and secondary sources,this article first traces the origins of Shanghai’s textile industry in the 19^(th) century to its connections with Bombay’s textile mills,then examines the emergence of working-class neighbourhoods as they acquired distinctive patterns of tenement housing,shopfronts,and street life.The main finding is that despite clear differences in the two cities in terms of religion,culture,and politics,the‘mill district’became a socio-cultural formation central to the identity and memory of generations of textile workers in Shanghai and Mumbai.A concluding section examines the similar process in each city in the 21st century in which mill compounds and neighbourhoods were converted into high-end commercial real estate and sites for consumption and leisure.
文摘In the name of conservation,many local governments in China have demolished and reconstructed their historic districts using pseudo-antique architecture as part of their commercial developments.While the destructive reconstruction practice involves issues such as who plays the decisive role in defning authenticity in the targeted district considering the creativity and imagination entailed in reconstruction,few studies analyse the factors leading to changes in the interpretation of authenticity throughout the destructive reconstruction process.Through a discourse analysis on project portfolios and semi-structured interviews with government ofcials,project planners and Shuidong residents,this study investigates the interpretation and implementation of the national-level authenticity principles in the Shuidong Reconstruction Project in Huizhou,Guangdong Province.Narratives of authenticity in local heritage practices are constantly changing because of the shifting local politics and regulatory powers involved.The efectiveness of national-level authenticity principles at the local level relies largely on the establishment of sub-national heritage regulations and the authorisation of heritage,which draws inspections from upper-level administrations.This study reveals certain socio-political factors that afect the relationship between reconstruction practices and the interpretation of authenticity.The political and proft-oriented tendency of local heritage conservation practices in China demonstrates the mismatch between conservation ideologies and bureaucratic realities.
