Weihang Wang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Abstract
In this article, I discuss the possibility of applying the practice of urban exploration and archaeology in reconstructing the socio-cultural landscapes and people’s everyday life in the old industrial towns of southwest China during the socialist past, and investigate how these material and visual legacies impact the urban transformation of these old socialist-industrial towns as well as local residents’ perceptions of the resurgence of a (new) cold war mentality. To do this, I use the approach outlined by Alice Mah and John Weily, in which they treat landscape as a lively entity (Mah 11-12, Weily 51). Instead of being a fixed space, landscape contains different socio-cultural activities and lived experiences. Therefore, in my exploration and investigation of China’s old industrial landscapes, I do not only use my eyes, but try to perceive the vibe of the landscape through touching, hearing, tasting and smelling.
Keywords: urban exploration, (new) cold war, industrial landscape, material/visual memory, ruination, Third Front