Description
Book SynopsisOne of the oldest cities in the world, Beijing was an imperial capital for centuries. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Beijing became not only the political center of the new communist country, but also the signifier of socialist ideol-ogy and revolutionary culture. Now, in the 21st century, Beijing embodies global conflicts and global connections. Over the course of the last century, then, Beijing moved from the quintessential traditional capital to the symbol of communist urban form and finally to a cosmopolitan metropolis. These three stages in the history of Beijing and its shifting representations are the topic of this study. Like other capitals, Beijing is much more than its physical entity. It also functions as a concept, a representation. As city planners have (and continue to) present Beijing to the world as a model, the fluctuating images of Beijing have become solidified in urban space. Today, the urban form of Beijing juxtaposes diverse spaces t
Trade ReviewWriting Beijing makes a remarkable contribution to the growing cultural studies of Chinese cities. Zheng not only engages in insightful discussions of the urban spaces of Beijing, including the important yet hitherto neglected military compound, but also provides exciting new interpretations such as “gendered city.” With its breath and clarity, this book would be an essential reference to anyone interested in Chinese cities, Chinese literature, film and society. -- Yanjie Wang, Loyola Marymount University
This book makes a substantial contribution both to urban study and literature and film studies. It has provided a superb model which connects city, people, and cultural production together. By exploring how urban space is reconstructed by political power and global capital, and revealing subtle relationships between reality and imagination of a city, it opens up important debates for further consideration. -- Dongfeng Tao, Capital Normal University, Beijing
Table of ContentsTable of Contents List of Figures Introduction Part I Chapter 1 Work Unit Compound: An Emergence of a New Urban Space Chapter 2 “Gongheguo xingui (New Aristocrats of the PRC)” Chapter 3 Red Nostalgia in the Literature of Military Compound Part II Chapter 4 Siheyuan: Signifier of Traditional and Masculine City Chapter 5 Second-generation Beijing Flavor Writers Chapter 6 Traditional Beijing and Masculine Beijing in Second-generation Beijing Flavor Literature Part III Chapter 7 Modern and Postmodern Architectures: Presentations of the Global Context Chapter 8 Beijing Floaters Chapter 9 Cosmopolitan Metropolis as An Urban Dream in Six-generation Films Conclusion References About the Author
