This panel examines the intersections of land, culture, and identity in China, exploring clan-based governance in Shenzhen's shareholding cooperatives, the interplay of fengshui and tourism in modern China, and the spatial dynamics of identity and boundaries in Beijing’s military compounds.
Jing Cheng
University of Erfurt, Ph.D Candidate
Title:
Land property, Clan and Shareholding Cooperative Company Governance: A case study in Shenzhen, China
Abstract:
This study explores the complex dynamics of clans and Shareholding Cooperative Companies (SCCs) within urban villages in the context of land property changes in Shenzhen, China. Through two large-scale land acquisitions and transformations, Shenzhen achieved comprehensive urbanization in 2004, converting former rural collective economic organizations into SCCs, with villagers becoming shareholders. SCCs utilize collective land for a range of commercial activities such as industrial factory construction, property management, leasing operations as well as the sale of land development quotas. The economic benefits generated from these businesses are subsequently distributed among the shareholders according to the principle of equity distribution, forming a capital appreciation and income-sharing model based on land resources. Driven by the siphoning effect associated with Shenzhen’s high population density and the sustained wealth growth from housing demolition compensation under urban renewal initiatives, SCCs and their underlying clans have accumulated substantial wealth. Data indicates that the collective assets of Shenzhen’s SCCs amount to 3 trillion yuan, with the eleven most influential clans, distributed across nearly 400 urban villages, collectively holding assets valued over 1 trillion yuan. However, this rapid wealth accumulation and identity transformation have imparted characteristics to SCCs that distinguish them from fully marketized private enterprises. Clan remains deeply entrenched, with significant overlap between clan elites and board members. This phenomenon has profound implications for corporate governance and performance, worthy of further exploration.
This study examines a specific case of SCC controlled by a clan in Shenzhen’s Bao’an District. Through a comprehensive methodology that includes ten months of participant observation, indepth interviews, focus group discussions, and subsequent two-year longitudinal data collection from 2022, the study analyzes how the clan influence the SCC’s governance and business performance.
The preliminary results show the dual impact of the clan on the governance of SCCs. On one hand, clan networks cultivate and enhance social capital, thereby enabling SCCs to assert their influence in negotiations with state authorities. Conversely, the pervasive presence of the clan in governance structure, human resource management, and market expansion results in a contraction of the radius of trust, the adoption of conservative market exploration strategies, and a preference for maintaining clan interests and stability. These factors collectively impact the development of the company, presenting challenges in adapting to the competitive dynamics of a market economy.
Xuyan Pan
Lingnan University, Masters of Philosophy Student
Title:
The Wheel of Fortune Turns: Fengshui and Tourism in Modern China, 1890-1937
Abstract:
This study examines the interplay of fengshui principles and tourism in modern China through a close study of Mokanshan, one of the Four Great Summer Resorts during the Republican era (民國四大避暑勝地). Historically nameless and was considered free from fengshui influences, Mokanshan attracted foreign settlers in the late Qing dynasty, prompting locals to reinterpret the area’s geomantic significance. Through three developmental phases (1890-1937), this research explores how traditional Chinese beliefs were challenged and reinterpreted in response to foreign influence and the demands of modern tourism and contributed to Mokanshan’s transformation into a modern tourist destination. The study argues that the evolving narrative surrounding Mokanshan reflects the ideological shifts in early tourism development and environmental understanding, with fengshui consistently adapting and maintaining its influence throughout these transformations. Utilizing primary sources from Chinese and foreign archives, personal diaries, and contemporary newspapers, the research offers a nuanced understanding of how touristic activities intersected with local fengshui beliefs. It also examines the broader implications for local communities as they navigated the complexities of modernization and national tourism policies.
Nan Xu
Stanford University, Graduate Student
Title:
Permeable Borders: Walls, Identity, and Space in Beijing’s Military Compounds
Abstract:
How do the physical boundaries established contest municipal authority while simultaneously shaping and blurring the identities of those within? This paper examines this question within the context of Beijing’s military compounds (budui dayuan 部队大院) from their inception during the Chinese Communist Party’s entry into Beiping through the transformations of the post-socialist era. The culture of Beijing compounds (dayuan 大院) has played a pivotal role in shaping contemporary China, particularly through the spatial and social constructs they introduced. When the Chinese Communist Party entered Beiping (now Beijing) with the aim of forging a new nation, they demarcated these compounds by constructing walls. These walls were not mere physical barriers; they served as mediums that communicated authority, identity, and the boundaries of a socialist nation. Through the materiality of the walls—inscriptions, language, and the very act of enclosure—the walls shaped the lived experiences and perceptions of the residents.
However, these borders were never absolute. The interaction between the compounds and the surrounding city reveals instances of blurred boundaries, challenging the rigid demarcation envisioned by the state. In the post-socialist era, the wall’s transformation signifies a process of deterritorialization, reflecting the gradual erosion of enclosed space under the pressures of globalization and commodification. Yet, the persistence of multiple boundaries within and around these compounds suggests that deterritorialization is incomplete, fostering a sense of nostalgia and raising questions about the ongoing negotiation of identity and space in contemporary China. By focusing on the walls that enclose these compounds, this study explores the dual role they play: as mediums that construct and communicate the boundaries of a socialist nation, and as porous membranes through which the tides of globalization and commodification flow.
