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| THE RELATION OF LANDSCAPE REPRESENTATION POWER AND LOCAL CULTURE SUCCESSION——A Case Study of Landscape Changing in an Old Commercial District of Beijing |
| ZHOU Shang-yi, WU Li-ping, YUAN Wei-chao |
| School of Geography, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China |
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Abstract Various local landscapes within a city are carrying the culture of the city. Fixing to the space, the local landscapes become the main research object of local culture in the fieldwork of cultural geographers. Keeping path with new cultural geography, this paper tries to interpret the meaning of the landscapes in Qianmen-Dashila Commercial District, which is a traditional one in Beijing and was transformed two years ago. The authors try to find out the mechanism of the local culture succession. Cultural landscapes have the function of cultural symbols. They could be regarded as text. Architects take them to show some meanings. This process is cultural representation. This article recorded the change of the landscapes after the renewal of this district by observation and interview, and the change of cultural representation power. Three conclusions come out. The first is that the cultural symbols of Beijing replaced the traditional and local symbols of the traditional commercial district by the transformation. The second is that the effect of this transformation is not conducive to strengthening the local cultural identity of the local people, and it also weakens the cultural diversity of a city. The third is the government and planners have overwhelming power of landscape representation. To some extent it reduces the authenticity of the local culture. The authors claim that the best way is to find out its unique local culture and give the local people more power of cultural representation in a renewal of a traditional district
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Received: 30 June 2010
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2010, Vol. 25 
