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Disneyfication or Self-Referentiality: Recent Conservation Efforts and Modern Planning History in Datong

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China: A Historical Geography of the Urban

Abstract

In order to renovate historical landmarks and promote tourism in Datong, a series of projects has been undertaken since 2008. The redevelopment strategy has bulldozed much of the old city and replaced it with a new faux-historic, ‘ancient’ city in the construction of an idealised heritage rather than a literal re-creation of historic Datong. We outline the modern planning history of Datong. A case study analysis of the (re)construction of the city walls and the improvement of the Huayansi temple complex critically engages discussion between the self-referentiality of Chinese faux-heritage and the hyperreality of Disneyfication. We conclude by asking whether the new (re)development may actually come to be regarded as an authentic representation of the current era.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    By the State Council.

  2. 2.

    By the National Tourism Administration.

  3. 3.

    By the National Tourism Administration.

  4. 4.

    Li-fang (里坊) is an ancient concept of planning residential areas, following the Rites of Zhou, which refers to a chessboard-like arrangement of streets delineating walled blocks of residences. Chang-an (now Xi-an), planned in the Tang dynasty, is considered to be the most typical example of Li-fang put into practice.

  5. 5.

    In China, city master plans are made and revised by a municipality according to the national economy development plan, which has been revised every five years since 1951.

  6. 6.

    The constructed façade of a walled town serves as scenery for shopping and standardised consumerist experiences which do little, if anything, to engage people with the rich cultural heritage of Datong.

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Acknowledgements

Shulan Fu’s contribution to this chapter was funded through the cooperative study ‘Comprehensive Study on the Introduction Process of Neighborhood Unit Theory in Japan (15H04098B)’, the ‘Study on the Modern Planning History of Local Cities in China: Focusing on the Urban Renewal Constructions and Plans from 1908 to 1926 (NSFC 51408533)’ and the ‘Introduction and Exchange History of Modern Urban Planning Technology between China and Japan (ZJU Central University Programme 2-2050205-16-061)’. She thanks Prof. Nakajima Naoto of the University of Tokyo, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Zhejiang University for their funding.

Jean Hillier’s contribution to the revision of this chapter was written while she was based at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. She thanks Zhejiang University for affording her this opportunity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regional and Urban Planning Department, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China

    Shulan Fu

  2. School of Global Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Jean Hillier

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  1. Shulan Fu
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Yannan Ding

  2. University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom

    Maurizio Marinelli

  3. Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Xiaohong Zhang

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Fu, S., Hillier, J. (2018). Disneyfication or Self-Referentiality: Recent Conservation Efforts and Modern Planning History in Datong. In: Ding, Y., Marinelli, M., Zhang, X. (eds) China: A Historical Geography of the Urban. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64042-6_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64042-6_8

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