The Alienation of Spaces in Future China: The Case of Hao Jingfang's Folding Beijing

In the article, the author presents a critical reading of Hao Jingfang's Folding Beijing (2012), a work that deals with the dystopian future of Beijing and the city dwellers' living condition. Adopting the concepts of "abstract space" and "differential space" as theorized in Henri Lefebvre's work, the author argues that the alienation of urban space is manifested in the form of three abstract spaces, which leads to the homogeneity of landscape, human mentality, and the fragmentation of natural temporal cycle. Furthermore, Hao's depiction of future Beijing's urban structure is her inquiry into the social issues caused by the current technology-driven production method. The protagonist's metaphorical journey from Third Space to Second and First Space shows that people always struggle for a differential space filled with hope and love by transgressing and resisting the imposed borders and norms of their respective spaces.