University/Organization
Northeastern University
Title
Hangzhou’s Yujie: The Recreation of A Historic Street as A Public Space
Synopsis
This paper explores the role history played in the formation of a public space through the study of Yu-jie’s modern metamorphosis, comparing the recently created pedestrian road with the Southern Song (1127-1279) imperial street, the legendary model that the twenty-first century revival was meant to follow. Rather than making kitsch of fake antique, the rebirth of Yu-jie revealed the deep-rooted Chinese concepts about both history and public space.