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13. Afterword
- Hong Kong University Press, HKU
- Chapter
- Additional Information
13 Afterword The European built form in Asia was a colonial enterprise from the very beginning—an expression of imperial aspirations in challenging environments . Once the gun smoke cleared, the diplomats, traders, and sovereign agents used the built form to send a clear message of new order: a court representing European justice, the government house on a hill representing power, the banks representing financial might, and hospitals representing progress, along with schools, parks, and churches. The cities explored in this volume involved different forms of foreign authority—formal colonies, treaty ports, leased territories, concessions, and settlements, yet they were all based on unequal treaties. “Colonial” dominance was both real and symbolic. Real, because it carried social, legal, military, and economic privilege. Symbolic, because it visually expressed “superior” European presence, and the urban forms and architectural styles that came with it. It was also idealistic—some urban spaces were seen as a tabula rasa, upon which modern plans could be imposed in order to avoid the problems plaguing European cities. Yet the reality was more complicated and the foundations of these colonial enterprises were shaky, as they were dependent on the acquiescence of the local populations. Risk and insecurity were integral parts of these colonial projects. The threat of revolt from local populations was real too, making it necessary to keep gunboats and a regular police force. Moreover, the process of building and maintaining these colonial forms was complicated because each location presented different sets of obstacles: geographic, climatic, and logistic. The large span of time covered in this volume was necessary to present the constantly shifting face of colonialism. The early entrance of France and Britain gave them enormous, but not exclusive, influence. 274 Afterword The colonial experience on the China coast cannot be measured solely by the standards of French and British experience or models. As the articles in this volume demonstrate, Russia and Germany, despite being latecomers to this region, were able to create their own enclaves and cultures in a short period of time. Japan was later able to build on various European experiences to pave the way for its own empire in this region. Railroads were crucial built forms used by these powers to expand their influence into the interior, becoming the foundation for the growth of new towns, industry, and trade. China and Vietnam also underwent changes. In 1911, the Qing dynasty collapsed in China, and the new republic was left fragmented due to rivalries among the northern and southern governments and the warlords. Local developments forced European powers to renegotiate previous terms with emerging new forces. Wealth was increasingly shared, making it possible for Chinese and Vietnamese elites and merchants to move closer to the places once reserved for Europeans and renegotiate the terms of trading, banking, and sharing of labor and resources. There were also a growing number of Western-educated professionals who understood how to operate in this particular environment . Between the two world wars, these treaty ports were becoming increasingly cosmopolitan, and conflict ceded ground to dialogue and interdependence. This was reflected in more diverse architecture, best expressed in the emergence of eclectic styles. New alliances, unthinkable in the past, were formed: for example, when a wealthy Chinese merchant hired a Western architect, or when a hybrid building designed by a French-trained Vietnamese architect was erected. New buildings reflected the changing tastes of emerging international bourgeoisie and new wealth. Yet, these changes were not uniform—colonial attitudes remained strong in Hong Kong, French Indochina, and the treaty ports. All of this changed during World War II. When the Japanese invaded the continent, their hegemonic plans included reshaping the European urban enclaves to their own preference. They presented the notion of pan-Asian brotherhood to the Asian populations; yet, their actions were nothing more than the replacement of one form of colonialism with another. Japan’s reliance on military force and violence triggered anti-imperial sentiments among the indigenous peoples, contributing to growing nationalism, which shook the foundation of colonial rule [3.91.43.22] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 06:15 GMT) Afterword 275 across Asia after World War II. These different, competing colonialisms left their permanent marks in the cities discussed in this volume; their material layers have to be uncovered and further explained. The fate of the colonial built environment in the twentieth century has its own controversies. While losing its original significance a long time ago, it had practical and aesthetic qualities that appealed to local governments...