Chungking Express

While researching about Chungking Mansion, I remembered that this movie directed by Wong Kar Wai - "Chungking Express", was actually based there. It is an anthology about Indian drug smugglers, Chines cops and short-order cooks.  Wong Kar Wai grew up in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, in the shadow of the Mansion, he quotes about his memories : 'The place was always a mystery to me. The people living in and living on it seemed very different from those I encountered. You can't help but have fantasies about what was actually happening inside. Of course, as a child, I was prohibited by my parents from visiting the place."  

- quoted from Hope and Squalor at Chungking Mansion by K.T. Greenfeld

On many levels I can relate to the curiosity generated by the presence of this building. I walked by this building every Saturday evening, after visiting my father at his office. As years go by, the crowd in front of the building changes. Sometimes, there were a crowd of Indian Women surrounding the area. (which I'd presumed to be prostitutes). next came the various individual Chinese woman standing on the street corners, alone in skimpy little clothing, covering barely any skin. I think it was about 10 degrees Celsius that day too. Well then there were some Indian men, and some African men. I'm not quite sure what they where doing, but definitely selling drugs and pirated objects: DVDs, Watches, Hand bags, whatever possible... 

well in case anyone is interested in watching this movie, here is a link that will redirect you to an an appropriate site.

Chungking Mansion

As I research things about Chungking Mansion (CKM) to do my analysis, I've came a cross some websites that do a pretty good job at characterizing CKM. Here are some excerpts:

Best Example of Globalization in Action

" But the housing and commercial complex is visited daily by an estimated 10,000 who trade in everything from secondhand mobile phones to old clothing. Many come from Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and Dhaka, and a good proportion have overstayed their visas in order to make quick money as restaurant workers or peddlers of counterfeit watches and bags. " —by Liam Fitzpatrick

Hope and Squalor at Chungking Mansion
"Take everything that Disney’s Epcot Center represents—the squeaky-clean, child-safe, good-natured cheer of painless globalism—and then cover it in mutton fat, dope resin and human excrement and you’ll get Chungking Mansion. Known as “The Armpit of Asia,” Chungking Mansion is the claustrophobic home for about 20,000 residents from all over the globe. Yet the Mansion also provides a glimpse into one possible over-populated, multi-ethnic future for all of us. This 17-story bazaar of curry stalls, discount electronics vendors, pirated CD and video CD stores, brothels, meth dens and guest houses, provides a glimpse of a dystopian, post-technology future where tribes, cultures and races co-exist in bustling, jumbled squalor. ... No one seems to remember the building’s architect, and the Hong Kong Land Development Corporation has no record of the original design. Perhaps the architect would prefer to remain anonymous, for among the structure’s foibles is that all public space, ... it would be geometrically impossible to create a darker building. " - by Karl T. Greenfeld

Chungking Mansion

" the initial first impression leaves you breathless and without any real understanding of what you have got yourself into and where you are. ...We arrived on the 15th floor to a random small desk and an Afro-Caribbean guy asking my name and requesting 2500 HK dollars for the room...we were given a room on the right hand side, no bigger than the interior of a large square car with white tiles from floor to ceiling - very much like a prison cell. When I saw the window and it was blank and white, I realised that it was decorative and gave us a view of the plaster that separated our room from the next ...Eventually, the ‘hotel’ moved us 3 floors down in the building to the ‘Lucky Hotel’. Lucky Hotel, is a 7 roomed 'hotel' that was once an apartment. All of the hotels in ChungKing mansions have evolved from residential apartments. We were greeted by the ever cheery, Henry, who manages the ‘hotel’ and we now have a room with two windows..." - by Tracey Doxey

http://everything-everywhere.com/2007/12/15/chungking-mansion

Flying Tigers at Chungking Mansion

"I woke up in the middle of the night to this loud banging and screaming. Once at the corridor it was revealed that the immigration authorities were making a raid on the complex searching for illegal immigrants in the area. ...a Bangladeshi family staying next door was taken away by the officials. Women were screaming in the corridors and terrified children were crying and running around on the scene. It wouldn't have been much of a surprise if a goat and some poultry had come running around there too....when left alone with this African guy in the elevator you could just feel him staring and then saying "Niiiii-cccc-eeeee..." in a way only someone from East-Africa is able to do. Moreover there was a certain sexual connotation in his pronouncing too, so to avoid him being able to offer a blowjob or something. Still a few floors left to go, managed to make it all the way up without any physical harassment. "

oh I just found a great youtube made of the chungking mansion.
Check It! CKM

Research Part 1: Conclusion

The evolution of Chinatowns is the result of the colonization by the Chinese. Even though they did not begin with the typical colonialism method of establishing a settlement, they eventually inhabited, cultivated and influenced the development of the new territory.

Chinatown’s story on many levels is relatable to the materialization of other (cultural) settlements. These displaced individuals congregated and created a ghetto/ community of their own. While dealing with the constraints of the existing fabric, they re-appropriated the landscape to fit themselves into the desired context.

Looking back at the migratory population in Hong Kong, I will propose to spend the next two weeks studying the infamous ‘Chungking Mansion’ which is perhaps comparable to the Kowloon’s Walled City, due to the densely occupied condition of the building.

Located at a major intersection of the busiest commercial district in Hong Kong, the Chungking Mansion is known for having the cheapest accommodation in Hong Kong. Therefore housing immigrants of different ethnic minorities (mostly temporary immigrants staying indefinitely), while its vacancies are available to other travelers. It also functions as a commercial centre appealing to a majority of the immigrants.

In light of this case study, I hope to find a resolution between the two case studies ‘Chinatown’ and ‘Chungking Mansion’; as both tackles the issue of resettlement of displaced individuals in two very different manner.

Hopefully this will aid me with the development of a “Transient City” or “Center of Refuge” that will facilitate ‘displaced’ individuals (displaced in very loose terms as it has yet to be defined) in both permanent and temporary transition.

Thesis Statement v.2 from Chinatown

“Migrancy means not only changing places, it also means the changing nature of places.”

“Life is not made up of landmarks and destinations, but a series of passageways.”

The idea of entering a new surrounding and leaving ones home brings about physical displacement and a series of mental unknowns. This unfamiliarity challenges one’s sense of belonging. Individuals are limited from bringing their home in transition to a new permanence. Therefore if home represents a place of belonging, then it is also the boundaries of comfort.

Taking on the idea of a traveling soul where he or she is constantly adapting to a new culture and pace and style of life. How does such an individual find ease and comfort in this transition?

Comfort is found sometimes amongst those of the same kind, resulting individuals from similar origins often tend to bond faster and easier hence the beginnings of various ethnopolis.

It is not just about the movement made by individuals or groups from one locality to another. It is also associated with the transformations acted upon the landscape of the new territory. The adaptation of the (pre)existing local vernacular represents the occurrence of homeland nostalgia.

-- -- --

Using Chinatown (a parasite) as a primary example of the transformation of any city, where alterations have been made indifferent to the urban vernacular at large. The constant (over)flow of immigrants caused an increase in racial discrimination, leading to the creation of ghettos.

Chinatown’s layers of history makes it hard to be defined; however it has acted constantly though out history as a trading post and a centre of refuge. Perhaps it is because of its dense layer of history that has extended its life expectancy, preserving the ‘minor’ alterations to be imprinted on the landscape in which it sits in – making it a landmark. (So where or what are the passageways?)

Chinatown Map

Below is the map which i've created to locate most of the Chinatowns in the World.

Extra! Extra! Read all about It!

The Falcon's Return by Gill Stoner raised an interesting topic. The Falcons that were endangered due to the poisoning of wildlife by our civilization-ing have been brought over to be raised in the urban jungle. Since the tall skyscrapers are just as tall (if not taller) than those of the forest (due to deforestation), the urban conditions have proved to be better and safer for these birds. (...which explains the increasing numbers of birds (hawks and eagles) that i see out of my window in Hong Kong, amongst the skyscrapers!)

The 'nature' in the city is often related to the green parks and the trees located on the side walk. However, " the urban landscaping is no more natural than urban pets, which are conditioned to sleep on couches, eat supermarket food and wear coats when it rains...the contemporary city, born of the forces of corporate capitalism, is now our own second nature." Strategies for survival has resulted in the growth of animals we consider as pests to live in the city. Rats, Pigeons, Seagulls, Cockroaches, raccoons and many more are no longer surviving in their natural habitat, but rather ours. If we disregard what we used to consider rural and urban, (wildlife versus city), the old urban has become the new 'rural', so what is the new 'urban' going to be?

If the existing conditions/ context has come into terms for a new landscape/ ground, then is the re-appropriation done Chinatown considered okay - acceptable? a decorated shed fit for advertising? would it be comparable to the 'big chicken' or 'duck house' ?

As I walk through (the new/surviving) Chinatown in Boston (this time carefully noticing the architecture), in many sense the streets are full of advertisements! Part of a business tactic... using signs instead of the shouting ‘one dollar, one dollar.’, or having news boys shouting ‘Extra! Extra! Read all about it...’ . Signs located everywhere, added on to the facade above entrances or even protruding out perpendicular to the building. The pre-existing brick commercial buildings and low-rise row houses, has been re-imaged due to homeland nostalgia. As a method of claiming the entry to the community, archways were built despite their awkward setting/ relationships to the surrounding buildings. Despite the changing architecture, the street view of these Chinatowns are outrage and re-appropriated to distinguish familiarize themselves with the sense of home.


Today, Chinatown is a part of the varied heterogeneous American fabric in which Chinese ethnic expression is woven into the American urban scene. The building of archways no longer stand for its old meanings; rather, a commercialization tactic by the city council. This development of the Chinatowns across the world has been quite similar politically, economically and historically.

It seems that Chinatown has become a form of parasite, that is globalized everywhere. As these Paifangs become the symbol, do they become the Starbucks sign for Chinatown? The intention of recreating the existing context to a preferred landscape that is like that of home is lost. Chinatown has now become a commodity, and a place for finding Chinese-ness, not Chinese.

What is the future of Chinatown?

Networking

Chinatowns are located due to migration. They have always acted as trading posts, apparently due to their capability in business. With the enactment of the Treaty of Peking in 1860, which opened the border for free movement, the numbers of emigration to other parts of the world from China accelerated. Coincidentally, the increasing European colonization in Asia during the mid 1800s resulted in the mass Chinese migration overseas on western ships (steamers). It has been said that from 1868 to 1939 about 6.3 million Chinese left Hong Kong as slaves for the coolie trade. What started out mostly as slavery for the gold rush, located in Australia, North America, Africa ad New Zealand, slowly turned into slavery for the railway industry.

Although the Chinese migrants all came from the coastal area of Guangzhou China, those of different dialects/ linguistic lines traveled to different parts of the world. The Taishanese and Cantonese settled in North America, Australia, Europe and Latin America; whereas the Hokkien and Teochew, moved down to Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and later, Latin America.
Using these old maps that traced the paths of the Steam-liners taken by Chinese Immigrants, the path taken and stops made concludes the location of various 'major' / 'old' Chinatown.

By studying these routes taken by the steam ships, we can begin to define the origin of each Chinatowns. The pattern of movement across the world map refers to the patterns of migration. Furthermore, understanding that with the spread of word by mouth or letters, more men were bound to travel to locations where they heard of success.

Because of these occurrence, we are able to identify through the style of paifang/ archways the origins of the immigrants. (in this case it would be the regions/ villages in China.)

The paifang dates back to the Zhou Dynasty 11th Century, represented as a marker for entrances, building complexes, mausoleums, temples, bridges, parks or towns. They served as directions, decorating the neighboring community, and used to honor and commemorate deserving people or historic events.

By the Song dynasty, it became more of a decorative movement - losing its true meaning.

Surprisingly, it is arguable that the original intent for the construction of the paifang/ archway in Chinatown is to reroot oneself in the new surrounding. But over the course of history, as Chinatown grows and become globalized, the archway now serves as a means of branding for tourism and commercialization of the area (as promoted by the city-council to reduce the vice of the city due to prostitution and drug use).

The disregard of the existing context/ ground (local vernacular) shows the re-appropriation to be used to feed the need of the people to re-root or familiarize themselves on foreign soil. As ignorance is placed upon the historical (pre)existing industrial architecture the street view is made to remind of home. Resulting with a additive architecture that become inconsiderate to the existing structures or surroundings.

people are weird....

humans are a strange category of creatures.
this has nothing to do with the development of my thesis.
but i'm sitting here in the reading room, watching this man parked next to the beb.
he rolls down the back window and lights a cigar.
but every time he exhales the smoke he rolls down his automatic window, then rolls it back up.
i know its cold out but why does he not just leave the window rolled down.
is he really going to roll his window down and up every single time?
well i'm counting and its already been 6 times and there still a lot of cigar left...
and off he goes...

is Chinatown a ghetto?

“Migrancy means not only changing places, it also means the changing nature of places.” The idea of architecture by migrancy which is based upon the coming and going of people is unavoidable in this day and age. As our footprint is traceable and imprinted upon the landscape travelled. Wherever we go, part of us gets left behind. Whether it is the rubbish that we have left in the area, or the scars we have left in the landscape. (Monuments, landmarks and buildings we have built).

“Life is not made up of landmarks and destinations, but a series of passageways.”

If landmarks and destinations are viewed as solids or positive spaces, then the moment of transient/ transition which occurs are what that defines the solids. Therefore leaving passageways as the void that we live through unnoticeable, seeing, hearing and learning. These “meaningless” or insignificant spaces are what that provides definitions to the solid that is around it. Their ‘emptiness/ voidness’ services the harmonization of the two distinct opposites (ying and yang). These spaces – passageways if viewed in terms of Lao Tsu’s argument, would be the greyness that provides clarity to the contrasts of the black and white (which in this case would be the Landmarks and destinations).

The transformation/ evolution of the city is altered by its people – migrants. This can be applied to any area, at any point of history and time. The occurrence of these small dislocations may signify the homeland nostalgia, which explains the generation of the beginnings of ethnopolis (Little Italy, Chinatown, etc.). ‘The plain “vernacular” is appropriated by capital and transformed into desirable “landscape”.’ However commercialism has been the key that drives the transformation of the city, therefore ultimately indifferent to the urban vernacular at large.

Take any Chinatown per se, the aspiration of the space provides a false sense of belonging – as though you were in China but on foreign soil. It can be perceived as a place whose self definition is actually portrayed in the symbolic landscapes and the re-appropriation of the vernacular spaces. (Although this might be a false image and wrongly perpetrating the true identity of the place.)

Looking at the history of Chinatown, despite their dispersed locations, they are mostly close to the sea. This pertains to their historical relevance of seamen traveling around the world to look for jobs and earn money to send home. The money they send home helps to raise their family, their success is spread by word of mouth to others in the homeland and thus provoking others to do the same.

As more people arrive, discrimination towards the Chinese increases: mostly due to the cheap Chinese laborers that become competitors to the local laborers. By isolating themselves from the rest of the society, and congregating to live together protects them from the others – creating a comparable center of refuge.

The following experiences would be a brief historical recount on what I think can be applied to mostly all Chinatowns - a stage of male dominant cheap laborers, drug and prostitution center (red light district or association with oriental exoticness), discrimination (exclusion), (finally) arrival of families, women and children, establishment of institutions and self-governing associations, commercialization and finally tourism.

The purpose of any refugee center is to facilitate or assist the resettlement of immigrants and multi-ethnic communities. Does the early stages of Chinatown fit into this description? Or perhaps this is where Chinatown is comparable to a ghetto. Despite the progression it has made though history, it start off as a poor section of the city with a high populated slum inhabitant of people of the same race and social background; resulting from social and economic restrains and pressure and hardships due to the occurring stereotypes.

With these layers of meaning that goes into the concept of Chinatown makes it wonderfully elusive – hard to define. Its layers are incorporated with the landscapes which it sits in. Wherever these Chinatowns are located, they have transformed the local architecture and urban design of that certain region of the country. The effects of migrancy have left behind landmarks, engraving their homeland nostalgias in the landscapes.

As we transit into this ethnopolis (Chinatown) most of us are unaware of the minor adjustments made by the migrants. The alterations are so minute that the awkward fitting-in goes unnoticed unless there is a arch that signifies the entry. We walk through the passageways, only experiencing the transition into a new environment through our senses.

Chinatown (S)

chinaSo as I begin researching about different methods of alternations/ adaptations of local vernaculars, I thought what a good way it would be by looking for something consistent around the world - to my realization it was Chinatown(s). It is apparent to me that there is always a Chinatown somehwere you go, or located closeby. Whether it be a giant community or a small couple of shops.

Here we go.....

Apparently there is only one Chinatown in India. Located in Calcutta. Here is a clip of the place. Although it is in Hindu, I suppose you can get the gist of the place with the few lines of spoken English and of course if you can recognize the Chinese characters.


As a method of tracking these discoveries, I made a google map of these Chinatowns.