Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is Round Table.
You're listening to Round Table.
With myself, young, I'm joined by Dinghung in the studio in Steve Hatherley on the line
coming up.
The popular county town aesthetics blends rustic charm with modern artistry.
Nostalgic style recreates the vibe of the 1980s and 1990s Chinese towns, nestled between
rural villages and bustling cities.
Yet, some small town residents now feel misrepresented by the oversimplified and sometimes
condescending gaze.
How can we better represent the true diversity and vitality of today's county towns through
art, media and public discourse?
Our podcast listeners can find us at Round Table China on Apple Podcast.
Now, let's move on to the next topic of discussion today.
It hasn't got much to do with literature, but county town aesthetics or Xiancheng
Wenxue in Chinese is in fact a photographic ode to the spirit of China's counties and
small towns.
This aesthetic style often features elements such as abandoned buildings, disorganized
alleyways, rusty iron windows and youth, staring far beyond the camera with vacant facial
expressions, evoking a sense of loss and deep solitude of small town life.
Why has this nostalgic yet gloomy style become so popular?
Is it a genuine homage to the past or a superficial exploitation of small town struggles?
Yes, many in China may have a general idea of what small town aesthetics looks like,
but some argue that there is rarely one single small town or county that perfectly fits
its cookie cutter image.
How do you describe the concept of small town aesthetics, Dingheng?
Yeah, I think the core idea is that it is a visual style that is trying to romanticize
and evoke a sense of nostalgia for those small town life in China.
This kind of old memory about how your mother should look like in their youth, like in the
1980s or the 1990s era of China depicting narrow streets, like you said, dilapidated buildings,
etc. etc.
I feel like this is really, it's not my opinion, but according to some observation, some people
say this kind of literature is essentially similar to Guangfeng or Hong Kong photograph
aesthetics.
So it's not really literature.
Let me just make this clear again, because in Chinese it's called Xiancheng Wenxue.
But in fact, it is a visual style.
Visual style.
A photographic style, right?
Yeah, so this kind of a style is trying to imagine a non-existent, I would say, small
town atmosphere from like 20 years ago, 25 years ago.
And the core issue here is really about learning about a past and rambunistens, nostalgic
feeling, etc.
Yeah, and also just let me give you more of these visual cues.
It's a very understated visual style, clothing leaning towards the style of the 1980s,
1990s in China, with deeper, more muted color palettes, complemented by the old buildings,
the street scenes that we just depicted, and also blurred pixels, tilted compositions
of the photograph subjects crouched by flower beds.
And also when you talk about the 1980s and 90s, you can't miss the ginormous shoulder
pads and suits.
And possibly big hair.
But you know, this is all done with also a bit of the modern artistry.
So a very appealing and popular and separate genre on lifestyle, sharing platforms such
as Xiao Hongshu.
And Steve, I know you're originally from a Canadian small town and you've been living in South
Korea for quite some time.
So what's your understanding of small town aesthetics?
Where I was born, you can't even use the word town.
You have to use the word village as a matter of fact because the population does not exceed
as far as I know, 900 to 1000 people, I believe.
I'm used to that.
I grew up, you know, hearing from people when I said where I was born, they'd say, where?
And I'd have to repeat it.
But it's not exactly the same as what's going on in this art project I don't think, because
it's not about the depiction of where I'm from, you know, an old rundown place where
the people are unhappy if they're still living there.
That's not the case at all.
When I speak now about where I'm from, I do it almost romantically with a great sense
of pride.
But when I was from there, when I was there there, I couldn't wait to get out.
So that, I think that feeling of escaping your small town for, you know, maybe a bigger
place, better opportunities is something that's universal when you're not from one of
the biggest cities in the world.
Also, when you look at the counties or small towns, so to speak here in China, especially
in 2024, there are some who have sort of moved past this small town aesthetics depicted
in so many photographs, some have become growth engines locally, some have pretty tall
buildings as well, and have moved further away from the agrarian society that China has
been for thousands of years.
But there are others that feel maybe they've been preserved in a number in a way that things
haven't really changed all that much.
And therefore for folks who have left there, who might never have been there, and also
for residents there, they might have very different perceptions towards how they're being
perceived.
And that's why I also find this to be a really interesting cultural discussion, because
this also touches upon, you know, how vast and diverse China is, as well as the different
stages of development that people and localities are at right now, and also how do you perceive
yourself in this grand era, so to speak?
So there's a lot to talk about.
Exactly.
And especially here in the case of China, the country is so large geographically speaking,
and there are so many smaller cities.
Some cities like the city where I was born and raised, it was quite developed a city,
I would say, it has nowadays, it has all the kinds of modern infrastructure or facilities
that a modern city is supposed to have, and it has all those kinds of modern shopping
malls, restaurants, and etc.
etc.
But in some cities, in some of the smaller cities I have personally towards, yeah, there
is really a lack of momentum and development, quite similar to those Rust about states in
America like Michigan, Pennsylvania, etc.
So it's really a case by case scenario we're talking about here, but in a bigger picture
sense, I feel like because urbanization is continuing here in China, it continues to
reshape China's landscape, there is really a growing sense of desire among urban dwellers
to escape the so-called Haso and Abusso of city life and trying to reconnect with the
perceived simplicity associated with the small town living, especially for folks like me
who have been living in big cities for a while, but originally we are from a small town
or smaller city.
I can understand why residents of these towns, after looking at a couple of the pictures,
would be upset about this because we have to remember that this is an art project,
so the towns can be depicted in any way, or maybe art project is the wrong choice of words,
but my point is they can be depicted, these towns can be depicted in any way that they
want to through these photographs.
And if the photographers and if the models and the people who are involved, if it's making
the people from those towns feel like their towns are being depicted in a negative light,
then we have to listen to what those people are saying.
They could easily take pictures from different angles with different facial expressions of
different buildings and make it look in a different way.
I feel like they obviously have an angle when they're doing this.
This is done intentionally, I think.
This reminds me of that saying, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder to a certain extent,
for some people, maybe who are born and grew up in these mega cities in China, they might
not immediately get that sense of maybe being a little offended, which is what Steve just
mentioned.
And for them, it's just more like a really simple appreciation of a different type of beauty.
And this kind of appreciation of not the brightest, shiny, new thing in town, but kind
of looking back into somewhat argue a more nuanced beauty that is maybe a little bit old,
a little bit worn out, but there's something precious about this recent relic kind of feeling
is becoming so mainstream.
And I think that is an interesting sort of twist of fate seeing in Chinese social media
these days and also just to provide some stats to what Ding Hong mentioned earlier about
how big China is and how relevant these small towns and counties could be goes like this.
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xinjiang, these biggest Chinese cities probably only account
for 0.33% of the country's total area.
And adding the so-called new first tier cities, which are huge cities, but not as well known
as the ones that I just referred to, is only 3% of the national territory.
In the remaining 97% of the land, there are about 300 small and medium sized cities,
nearly 3,000 counties, 40,000 towns and 660,000 villages across the country.
Around 80% of the population in our country lives their lives in these areas.
So this is the vast area that we're talking about today.
And Ding Hong, could you tell us really how popular and widespread is small town aesthetics
that we can find these days?
So for example, on Doying, this Chinese version of TikTok, a post-taxed was small town literature
quote unquote, have garnered over 470 million views indicating really, really significant
popularity and platforms like Xia Hongshu, they have also facilitated the spread of this
particular trend because this is a platform where photographers and potential clients
who are really into this trend can get connected with one another, right?
And there are some particular examples that are proved to be really interesting, I guess,
for example, there is a rap music video titled Factory that has really taken the internet
on by by storm.
On Billy Billy, this short video platform in China, it has gained 5.8 million views because
the background is that this video, or it is suon, was cast in Jiangzhou city, Henan
Province.
And it's really offering a picture regarding a greedy raw portrayal of the local life because
over there it was an industrial city and maybe its development is lacking momentum nowadays.
And there is really this kind of harsh realities faced by local factory workers and its
lyrics is fantastic, the video was fantastic and it's really capturing the dirty aspects
as well as the monotony of the local factory life.
And it is in particular, I think it is resonating with people who are familiar with the struggles
of the blue collar workers.
And let's just give a major shout out to Jiang Fengzhou, aka rap god of Henan and he came
up with this fantastic rap song and that music video.
It's so hard hitting, it really shows.
I know if it's a form of art then there is a certain level of poetic portrayal of the
thing but also it really shows the devastating environmental impact of factories in small
industrial towns and giving voice to a community that don't really get much attention and the
popularity of factory or Gongchang challenges the urban centric focus in China's pop culture
for way too long.
And another great example would be Manchang Lejijiye, the long season.
This is a TV drama series that is critically acclaimed and also one of the most washed
shows on the internet last year.
It showcases some of the small town aesthetics such as the muted color palettes of focusing
on a particular style of urban landscapes.
However, unlike some works that romanticize small town living the long season offers
a more nuanced and authentic exploration of the complexities, resilience and emotional
depths of ordinary people, navigating profound socio-economic changes in China's industrial
heartlands and there is no sense of self-pity whatsoever, you can tell that this is like
a love letter from the director Xin Shuang to his hometown and the lighting is always
so warm although it might be depicting some of the coldest and hardest struggles in life,
highly recommend this to you.
And of course, when we talk about cinematic art, how can we forget Jia Zheng Kuo, he is
one of the most renowned directors in China.
He started his career with showing the lives of small town, marginalized youth, migrant
workers and really captured the impact of economic changes on grassroots communities using
a new realistic aesthetic and I still remember when I first saw Xiao Wu, also known as
Pickpocket and I believe this is the cinematic debut of Jia Zheng Kuo in 1997 as a middle school
student, I was astounded by what I saw because back then I felt, okay, this is due to my
own ignorance but I used to think that much of China is Beijing Shanghai or what you see
in TV but seeing the lives of these young people in almost forgotten corners in China, it
was mind blowing and it really humbled me to the ground in so many ways and still I would
recommend you to watch it.
So these are some of the examples in art media as such where I suppose small town aesthetics
have long been there.
Of course they have always been there and it is the same in Canada too.
People think about Vancouver and Toronto and Montreal maybe as Canada but that is not the
only thing in Canada there is plenty more to know about, there is plenty more to see
and in Korea they try to push the same thing, promote the same things when people think
about Korea of course they think about Seoul first, maybe they think about Busan as well
but talking about representation in popular culture.
There is a lot of dramas here where they are shot in the hometowns of seaside villages
and they show that culture there, they show that geography there.
There is even reality shows where celebrities will go out to the countryside and try their
hand at farming or things like that.
And I never really ever gave that any thought but I was chatting with some Korean friends
of mine recently and they said the reason they show that a lot in popular culture through
movies and dramas and reality shows is twofold.
Number one, these shows are popular in foreign markets so they want people to know that when
they come to Korea there is so much more to see than simply Seoul and Busan so it gets
people traveling to different parts of the country.
But also here in Korea young people when they are young and they are from a small town
of course, they want to go to Seoul, that is the dream, they want to study in Seoul, make
a career in Seoul.
But what the government is trying to do is to get people to move out of the capital and
move to these smaller towns and so by having famous people celebrities go out and try farming
and other things that you could do agriculturally, I think they are trying to show that young people
can make a life for themselves outside of the capitals too.
When they show these small towns they are not saying that they are old and run down, they
are not saying it is not cool to live there anymore.
It is almost like they are trying to show this is the new cool if you will.
That is fascinating also I don't know that much about South Korea but I have seen the
housing price level of Seoul and also how it absorbs so many of the population in South
Korea to this big city and somewhat argue that it is maybe depleted the resources in
a way.
So I can see why that the government would possibly also want to publicize and market and say
that the big city life isn't the only option and also it is just so expensive and stressful
to live in some of these metropolis around the world and people now who are tired of
the rat race who want a different option in life, they are looking outward and I think
that is possibly what is happening here.
Does small town aesthetics reinforce certain stereotypes about small town living because
some people do see it as being stagnant or maybe even outdated?
Yeah I think that is exactly the case at least a two sum extent because this kind of style
that often presents a romanticized or oversimplified view of small town life they tend to ignore
it's actual diversity and a complexity because if you are focusing too much on a narrow
range of visual elements like crumbling, architecture or any nostalgic things it may end up
overlooking the experiences and the perspectives of the actual small town residents.
Some people talking points about my hometown I mean for residents here in mega cities like
Beijing and Shanghai for them to talk about my hometown the way they talk about my hometown
is probably entirely different from the way my father and my mother would talk about
my hometown my parents are still living in my hometown by the way so but on the other
hand I think it is also important to note here that some photographers and artists within
this particular small town aesthetics they are actually aiming to challenge these stereotypes
by showcasing more diverse and more positive aspects of the small town life they are trying
to capture the uniqueness the real diversity for the local life over there.
For people to come from if the artists are coming from Beijing if they're coming from Shanghai
if they're coming from the biggest cities in the world or in the country to these smaller towns
and they're staying for a short time to take their pictures or get whatever they need
and then they leave and they've never been there before they've never spent any time
there before they don't know the people there they don't know the history of the town then
can they really accurately depict through their photographs what that town is all about
or what that town represents or represented over the years or even over the decades that
would be if I was from one of those towns I would feel like that hey you're not from here
you don't know anybody from here you don't know what we've been through you just pop in
for a few days take your pictures and then you're gone it's not really fair I can understand
totally why people would be a little bit put off by this but also some of these photographers
now they're originally from county towns they're originally from one of these similar places
and they're finding this is a job opportunity you know when they can they're being hired
by clients to take these pictures and so-called clients could just be everyday people like
you and I because due to how popular this aesthetic genre has taken off online when people
travel to different cities and towns in this country sometimes they would hire these local
photographers and come take pictures with them usually it's a half a day job and it pay
ranges from a hundred yuan to a few hundred yuan fourteen US dollars to quite a bit more than
that and you get these professional photos taken and that's like part of the local tourism
industry and it's part of some of this this travel experience for some people and a lot
of those photographers who have talked about this online they say well some of them are
originally from smaller towns and they have this appreciation of now they want to sort
of show a more nuanced and diverse view of the small towns and maybe that's a silver
lining than as opposed to big city folks come in and just taking a few snapshots and that's
it so I appreciate the concern that Steve you just mentioned and also the home what you
said earlier on I think it's just really interesting like for outsiders ignorant outsiders
like myself possibly what I see is wow that is a beautiful picture of an old building that
maybe is a little bit rundown but that's so pretty but for locals who might actually
live there they probably think we don't have air conditioning this old building has been
around for too long I'm waiting for the new apartment to be constructed or whatnot and
they don't see as much as you know that the so called beauty I suppose or maybe they
see beauty in a completely different lens and and I think maybe that is also part of where
the conflict of all this discussion is happening as well yeah exactly I very much would
of concur with that and by the way that's exactly why some people jokingly say that's
the essence of tourism is about when you are fed up with your own place you go to a place
that other people the locals are to see something that local people are already tired
of it's about seeing something different right and in what ways might the pop your
clarity of small town aesthetics influence how small towns and counties develop and market
themselves culturally and possibly for tourism purposes Steve I think I think yeah you
know my hometown Tatumagush Nova Scotia again population 900 it's really turned a corner
and they've started to take advantage of a market that I guess they didn't realize was
available to them before they've created camping grounds in the area outside of the town
I mean our town village we only have one main street and it's called main street so there's
not a lot like there's no hotels you know there's not like there's a a hi-hat or something
you know around the corner no you can't you got to find your own place to say so they
built camping grounds they built a little tiny brewery there and what they did was they
turned it into like a summer oasis for people and it put them on the map and then when
people come to the local businesses the local businesses say oh hey if you take a picture
and put this on your Instagram then you'll get a 20% discount on a cup of coffee or something
like that and that's they use social media to promote this little tiny village and now
in the summertime it's booming in the winter time it's still dead quiet you know nobody
goes there in the winter time but they've created an economy out of something that didn't
exist before so I think there's lessons to be learned there and things to be taken advantage
of yes and we're seeing similar things happen in the small towns and counties in China as
well as the locals try to brush up their image and attract tourism as that seems to be possibly
the more environmentally friendly way than maybe industrial practices and while China's
soaring mega cities have captured all the attention we must not lose sight of the nation's
beating heart the myriad of smaller cities towns and villages that account for a staggering
97% of its vast lands is here beyond the largest cosmopolitan's where over 80% of our
people truly live work and dream and that brings us to the end of today's roundtable thank
you so much Dingheng and Steve Hatherley for joining the show and thank you for tuning
in you can find us on Apple Podcasts at roundtablechina I'm Ha Young we'll see you next
time
