China’s Manufacturing End: Mass Urban Village Demolitions Displace Workers in Guangzhou & Shenzhen

Since late July, the Chinese authorities have initiated a new round of ’urban village’ redevelopment projects across major cities nationwide. This has resulted in numerous local residents and tenants compelled to vacate, leaving behind clusters of empty construction. To many observers, urban villages appear as scars on the cityscape, characterized by their disorderly environment, concerning security issues, and apparent safety hazards. Their uniquely narrow alleys, colloquially referred to as “a Seam of sky“; windows are so close that they could almost kiss, whimsically termed “kissing buildings“ or “handshake buildings“; and perpetually shadowed rooms, seem oddly out of place amidst the nearby modern skyscrapers. Now, the fate of Shipai Village in the face of the latest round of urban village renovation remains uncertain. We’re unsure of what the future holds for it and in what form it might continue to exist. #chinamanufacturing #urbanvillage #chinaeconomy #chinaobserver All rights reserved.