Search

This paper adds to a relatively new line of research investigating inadvertent transformations of urban colonial space generated by collective trauma. To the now classic iterative, and racial dynamics of Neild's ‘accommodation’ in the development of Madras,1 and of Yeoh's ‘contesting’ of the built environment in Singapore2—specifically in the tugging and pulling between local and colonial influences within the spatial discourse of colonial port cities—needs to be added that of single or multiple-event collective trauma. Such trauma, perceived as brought upon by unexpected external causes, might consolidate, perhaps accelerate, or even sever a previous sequence of spatial negotiation, particularly if that sequence was politically vulnerable or immature. The paper is a focused account of such an occurrence: the small-scale yet intensely traumatic events of Hong Kong Island while still in its colonial infancy in 1843, the year of the ‘Hongkong Fever’. It argues that a new conception of malaria—considered then a miasma—now linked both to location and construction, led to the first reactive, yet decisive, reconfiguring of a previously improvised urban colonization process, consequently salvaging Hong Kong's position within a wider imperial context. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article looks at the history of China and its relations to the West from the 19th century through 2013. It describes the Yuanmingyuan, or Old Summer Palace, in Beijing, China, the Qing dynasty residence, noting it was destroyed by British and French forces during the mid-1800s Opium Wars and saying its remaining ruins are a symbol of Western imperialism. It outlines the period of foreign domination of China in the century following the Opium Wars, saying it was reversed by the 1949 Communist revolution under Mao Zedong. It describes Mao's effort to implement Marxist ideas of class struggle, which it says were reversed in the country's move toward a capitalist economic system beginning under Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. It traces Chinese-Western relations into the 21st century.

The article presents an examination into the urban history of the late Qing Chinese civilization, focusing on the developments in theater architecture in Shanghai after 1860 and their implications regarding Western imperialism in the nation. Details are given describing the strong presence and influence of Western foreigners in late Qing Shanghai. An overview of the evolution of the modern theater in China is then given through specific case examples such as the New Lyceum Theater and through broader trends in their architectural changes.