Urban Village in Shenzhen
Documentary, Duration: 21′ 59″
Interpretation of works
Text / Wu Guoyong
In this world’s recent history, there has not been another city like Shenzhen, which can transform from a small fishing village into a cosmopolitan, in just 40 years. This process of rapid growth has been devastated, and the natural villages that were originally sloppy and sturdy were quickly occupied by the city, forming an Urban Village.
Although these urban villages have long been urbanized and transformed into collective stock companies, the essence is the community management of traditional villages. The dual worlds of local culture and immigration culture, mainstream culture and subculture, traditional rural culture and modern urban culture represented by the two groups of “indigenous residents” and “rental residents” are in conflict and merge in the villages. The magical land. For countless outcomers, these urban villages are only their temporary habitats while they are pursuing their dreams for a city life. For those inhabitants, here is their root. They enjoy the dividends brought about by the flourishing development of the world outside the village, while they can still hide in the village to form a unified, solid and partial peace of mind.
Many urban villages have squares, arches, ancestral temples and gods. Some are luxurious, some are shabby. But it is the stage where the original inhabitants show the world their unique culture. Clan worship, land worship, money worship and power worship are all placed and enshrined in all corners of the village. The plaza is the link between the village and the city. It is also the only place for the villagers to relax, exercise, exchange information and public activities in the environment. The scenes of the people in the village are vividly presented in the stage of the square.
The villages in Shenzhen are not only the past of Shenzhen, but also the “root” of Shenzhen. It seems to be contrary to the modernization of Shenzhen, but it is really forming an intertwined, conflicted and symbiotic relationship with the city. This is a microcosm of China's rapid urbanization from a farming society. In a sense, isn’t China now a “Urban Village” on earth?
Image works
Surrounded by high-rise buildings, urban villages are a special existence in Shenzhen. They are both harmoniously symbiotic with modernity and self-contained, very different from the city outside the village.
Pagoda Series
The pagoda is the gate of the village, the boundary of the village, and a symbol of the sovereignty of the village's territory to the outside world. The pagoda is also a manifestation of strength, and the couplets on the pagoda are the villagers' spiritual aspirations.
▲ Huanggang village pagoda, 2019
▲ Dingtou village pagoda, 2019
▲ Gangha village pagoda, 2019
▲ Huangbei Ling village pagoda, 2019
▲ Low Mountain Village pagoda, 2019
▲ Tianxin village pagoda, 2019
Ancestral Hall Series
Ancestral shrines are the spiritual homes of clan worship for the indigenous residents of urban villages. The style of the ancestral shrine is directly related to the economic strength of the clan, but whether it is luxurious or simple, the ancestral deities in the ancestral shrine are always arranged according to the value of their contribution to family reproduction rather than simply in sequence. There are more than 50 surnames with clan ancestral worship found in Shenzhen.
▲ Huanggang Village - Zhuang's Ancestral Hall, 2019
▲ Ha Sha Village - Huang Siming Gong Shi Ancestral Hall, and the people sleeping soundly under the porch, 2019
▲ Bu Chung Village - Jiang Clan Grand Ancestral Hall, 2019
▲ Luo Tian Village - Wei Qi Lai Gong Ancestral Hall, and people playing cards and gambling under the veranda, 2019
▲ Odi Scare Village - Chen Ancestral Hall, and the first-time migrant workers in front of the Ancestral Hall, 2019
▲ Liuyao Village - Li's Ancestral Hall, people who set off firecrackers to worship their ancestors, 2019
Plaza Series
Almost every urban village has a square, which is the only place for people in the cramped environment to relax, exercise, mingle with information and public activities. It is a stage where all the village life is presented vividly. It is also a link that connects the village with the city outside the village.
▲ Shui Wai Village Cultural Square, 2019
▲ Tong Ha Chung Village Cultural Square, 2019
▲ Shanghe Village Cultural Square, 2019
▲ Nanling Village Cultural and Sports Center, 2019
▲ Bai Nai Hang Village Cultural Square, is holding the graduation ceremony of kindergarten, 2019
▲ Xiasha Village Cultural Square, the ongoing Huang clan meeting and the 1,000-seat 10,000-pot feast, 2019
▲ Creeping urban village at the foot of the city CBD, 2019
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© 2019