Page 88 - JCAU-4-2

Chinese Exceptionalism in Architecture and Urban Design Wong

[4]
but not exhaustive of the nuanced nature of circle” (p. 39) . This quote illustrates two
Chinese New Towns. Astrid Safina studied things at the same time. First, it attests to a
Zhaoqing, a third-tier city situated on the conceptual exceptionalism of Shenzhen in
Western edge of the Pearl River Delta, one of embodying ideological extremes. Second, it
the fastest growing regions in China. She centers on how Shenzhen is mythologized as
notes that a major takeaway from this case “a circle by the sea,” a “zone of exception” (p.
[3]
study is the promotion of an “ambiguous 39) , and how this Dengist popular narrative
[2]
polycentrism” (p. 107) , that challenges the could often be misconstrued for replicating
reductive frameworks of centralization and the Shenzhen model in any geography, China
decentralization. Leonardo Ramondetti or elsewhere.
studied a Henan province infrastructural hub Du reveals that this zone of exception is
Zhengdong that represents the inlands, a less actually exceptional in its conception.
privileged area for the studies of reform. Fighting against the misconception that
Instead, he frames Zhengdong as an Shenzhen could be a “circle” anywhere in the
interesting mixture between “urban world, a vacuum space void of irrelevance,
entrepreneurialism” and the “so-called Du notes instead that Shenzhen’s
[2]
socialist countryside planning” (p. 121) , a geographical history and reality had been
region highly receptive of spatial innovations, instrumental to its success. She gathers that
including renowned architect Kisho the natural and human geography are factored
Kurokawa’s polycentric city plan. Filippo into any theorization of Shenzhen as a
Fiandanese researched Tongzhou, an “Special Economic Zone.” She theorizes
industrial suburb of Beijing. Responding to Shenzhen not as a clean slate, but as a place
Soviet ideologies, he formulates Tongzhou as of “centuries-old agrarian spatial patterns” (p.
[3]
the regional convergence of political 60) , going as far back as 100 BCE. She
centeredness and industrial production, which traces the indigenous village settlements that
challenges the utilitarian land use segregation have existed way beyond 1979, a year
of Western conventions. The aforementioned commonly noted for the “establishment” of
contributors heed to the editors’ call for Shenzhen, and she understands how these
proclaiming “Chinese characteristics” in their settlement patterns has impacted the city’s
[2]
own rights . In writing about the marginal growth and development into an economic
and up-and-coming spaces of China, they capital as it is today. In addition, she
identify critical innovations, the urbanistic maintains that the 1982 Master Plan, an early
specificities of which are suggestive of larger masterplan for Shenzhen and indeed China,
ideological shifts. considered environmental resources shaped
by these settlements in nature, including
“rivers, canals, and marshes” central to
2.2 Spaces in Shenzhen Special Economic irrigation of rice fields and fishery ponds. Du
Zone thus refutes Shenzhen to be lumped together
Architect and professor Juan Du (2020) with the world’s neoliberal ports such as
tackles Deng’s famous theory, “Socialism Rotterdam and Hamburg that Easterling
[5]
with Chinese Characteristics,” on which proposes in Enduring Innocence , or with
Harvey’s term is based. She quotes The Story China’s own Special Economic Zones in the
of Spring’s (famous propaganda song) lyricist 1980s including Xiamen, Shangtou, Zhuhai,
Jiang Kairu in saying, “in the past, we viewed and Hainan in Extrastatecraft [6] . This
the planned economy and the market provocation comes from a deep
economy as enemies out to kill each other, understanding of Shenzhen’s uniqueness,
unable to get along. Within the circled area, stemming from both coincidental and
this flourishing development subverted that artificial conditions miraculously converging
notion and created a miracle of human in the physical territory.
civilization. This is the significance of this

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