Chinese Studies Commons^™

Displaced In The Simulacrum: Migrant Workers And Urban Space In The World, Yanjie Wang

Asian and Asian American Studies Faculty Works

The article examines the construction of the World Expo Garden in Shanghai in 2010, in relation to Jia Zhangke’s 2004 film The World. It argues that during the process of large-scale demolition and reconstruction involved in the creation of the World Expo Garden, one cannot ignore the numerous migrant workers who swarmed into the city and contributed tremendously to the completion of one project after another. This article argues that in spite of their pivotal role in providing cheap labor to rebuild the city, migrant workers have not been afforded any space in the spectacular tapestry of Shanghai. This article …