Integrating theory and reality
Learning in the classroom is fun, but applying what you have learned to what you experience in reality is even more fun! The field trip our GY201 The Political Economy of Urbanisation in China and Asia: Globalisation and Uneven Development class had on the second Monday was an absolutely highlight of the course, and for my entire learning experience at the LSE-PKU Summer School.
Wudaoying Hutong 五道营胡同
Photo: Walking and learning from Professor Hyun Bang Shin in Wudaoying Hutong by River Sun
Photo: Veggi Table in Wudaoying Hutong by River Sun
Wudaoying Hutong is an alley currently in the waves of gentrification. If you look at the two photos carefully, you will see “Veggie Table” in both pictures. It seems to be a vegetarian restaurant catering for the needs of affluent visitors/foreigners rather than for the needs of local residents.
Photo: Metal Hands café by River Sun
The Metal Hands café serves as a good example of gentrification in process: on the left side, it is a modernised café with new furniture and bright light; whereas on the right side, it is a dilapidated door with dry glass hanging above. I bought a hand-size Americano from the café, which cost me ¥28 (£3.27) I could not really tell the taste difference with Starbuck’s Americano. I wanted to ask “whom was the café built for?”
Jianchang Hutong 箭厂胡同
Photo: Empty houses by River Sun
On the way from Wudaoying Hutong to Fangjia Hutong, we passed by Jianchang Hutong, a residential area in the process of “tengtui 腾退” (vacate from government-owned properties with compensation).
Photo: Residents living nearby Jianchang Hutong by River Sun
There are still some residents living in the Hutong area and sharing the civic space. I felt quite emotional after doing some research about the residents of Jianchang Hutong.
Photo: Please vacate by River Sun
Most of the slogans are used as peer pressure to make the residents sign the agreement for moving out and receiving the compensation. The upper left-hand one translates to “the earlier you sign the agreement, the earlier you will get the compensation; if you wait to see [what others do], you will get nothing”. The one below literally means “if one household does not sign the agreement, all the households will lose [what they are supposed to get].
Nanluo Guxiang 南锣鼓巷
Photo: A changed Nanluo Guxiang by River Sun
Nanluo Guxiang is not like the place it used to be. Five years ago, when I came here, there were still some street vendors. After much redevelopment, it is highly commodified. The underlying logic seems to remain the same: whoever is able to afford the rent, will get a “place” to make a living. Commercial users have replaced residential users, and high-end commercial users have replaced the low-end ones.
Photo: Mini-lecture on the way to Zhounggu Lou by River Sun
In each destination, Professor Shin would give us a mini-lecture to unravel the recent history of the place in which we stood.
Reflection
What have I learned from the field trip? About a bunch of stuff; displacement, land-based accumulation, heritage conservation, property as hegemony, etc. But most importantly, and returning to what I said at the beginning, applying what you have learned in textbooks to real life experience can help you recalibrate your epistemological framework and help you stay critical! Being critical does not mean being negative. It means keeping your eyes open and actually seeing what is happening in our day-to-day life.
Thank you very much River for joining the LSE-PKU Summer School class of 2019 (and class of 2018) and for sharing your amazing experience and photos with us! Find out more about GY201 The Political Economy of Urbanisation in China and Asia: Globalisation and Uneven Development