This chapter helps locate the geographical trajectory of Wang’s cinematic
activities. It also introduces the broad concept of ‘space’ and its centrality
in the discussion. By looking at the shooting locations over a map of China,
the investigation of Wang Bing’s cinematic travelogue is set against the
ongoing state narrative of the China Dream. This is a slogan that frames
China’s rise. The author argues that Wang’s films can be understood as a
counter-narrative that shows the less shiny side of China’s growth. They
can also be loosely grouped according to different definitions of space:
spaces of labour, spaces of history and memory, collective spaces, exhibition
spaces, and spaces of human practice. Moreover, without losing their
Chinese distinctiveness, the issues at stake in Wang’s films speak to a much
larger global experience of marginal spaces and uneven development.
Asian views of China in the age of China’s rise: interpreting the results of pew survey and Asian student survey in chronological and comparative perspectives, 2002-2019
