Urban stratification: Hsinchu city as an inclusive archive

Abstract

The establishment of the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (HSIP) in 1980 created a site for high-tech success in Taiwan and increased the political, cultural and economic significance of the city of Hsinchu. In the intervening four decades, Hsinchu City has moved between the identities of being an historic city and a science city. While most research on HSIP focuses on its economic benefits, the resulting social and economic segregation between the natives of Hsinchu and newcomers to the city has evolved. Although current city development often causes the alienation of old timers and indifference by newcomers, the center of Hsinchu remains the locus in which to transform the dichotic city into a place to be enjoyed by everyday residents. This paper uses an ethnographic approach to examine the value of historic sites interpreted by both groups. The discussion focuses on how opinions held by preservationists/officials/elites (re)shape the value of historic environments yet create conflicts among stakeholders with different interests, and how narratives of “city as archive” (re)shape the connections between people, place, and the past.

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