Exploring Urban Aesthetics from the Viewpoint of Shared Culture: Gaozhuang Xishuangjing of Jinghong and Chiang Mai Old City

Abstract

<p> 東南亞的共享文化是一種社會現象，共享文化一旦符碼化後，對城市美學發展而言可能形成阻力。以中國的傣族和泰國的泰族而言，兩造有族源關係，具共享文化，特別是西雙版納和清邁的傣泰族群的語言、習俗與宗教相通，不僅造就兩地相似的文化意象，也影響彼此的景區建設。其中，景洪市告庄西雙景和清邁市的清邁古城，都是由舊城區改造的觀光景點，兩城區的景觀相似，有共同的造景符號。問題是：城市美學的發展強調在地特色，但告庄西雙景和清邁古城卻出現了相似的景觀，這是一種共享文化的再現，還是美學設計的問題？本文立基於此進行調查，目的在探討告庄西雙景和清邁古城的城市美學為何相似的原因。研究結果顯示，兩景區景觀之所以相似，關鍵在於美學設計的問題，而非共享文化的因素。告庄西雙景和清邁古城的文化戰略定位雖不同，但彼此的美學設計卻相似，主要是因為告庄西雙景的造景技術團隊來自泰國，以清邁的藝術技法複製於告庄西雙景，遂造就兩景區相似的外觀，文末則對此進行評述。</p> <p> </p><p>The shared culture in Southeast Asia is a kind of social phenomenon that, once encoded as symbols, could resist urban aesthetic development. The Dai people of China and the Thai people of Thailand have ethnic ties and share a common culture, especially in Xishuangbanna and Chiang Mai, where the Dai and Thai people share a common language, customs, and religion. This provides the conditions for the presence of similar cultural imagery and influences the construction of areas of aesthetic interest in both places. Among these, two key such areas in Jinghong and Chiang Mai–Gaozhuang Xishuangjing Scenic Area and Chiang Mai Old City–are both tourist attractions transformed from the old city. The landscapes of them are similar and have common landscaping symbols. Do these qualities indicate the reproduction of a shared culture? If so, is it the case that the development of the urban aesthetic in each instance emphasizes local characteristics and that this is the explanation for the similarity between the two environments? Or does this similarity result from design? On the basis of these questions, the study aims to investigate the reason of why the urban aesthetics of these two areas are similar. The research finding shows that the key to the similarity between the two urban landscapes is design and not the influence of shared culture. Although the cultural strategies of Gaozhuang Xishuangjing Scenic Area and Chiang Mai Old City differ, their design features are found to be similar, mainly because the technical team that built Gaozhuang Xishuangjing Scenic Area came from Thailand and replicated the artistic techniques of Chiang Mai Old City, resulting in two aesthetically similar areas. The article concludes with a brief comment in light of the findings.</p> <p> </p>