The politics of heritage in a river-city: imperial, hyper-colonial, and globalising Tianjin

Abstract The intent of this article is to analyse the interconnectedness between urban transformation and eco-heritage value over time in Tianjin from a river-city perspective. The focus is on the Hai River’s (海河) contribution to the mechanisms of space and power in imperial, hyper-colonial, and globalising Tianjin. After an analytical excursus of the Haihe’s historical-political-economic roles, attention is given to the Haihe as the fulcrum of Tianjin's creation as a spectacle city in present times. The objectives are to elucidate the Tianjin Municipal Government-led urban ‘beautification’ strategy and analyse the aims and objectives of the 2002 ‘Comprehensive Reconstruction and Redevelopment Plan of the Haihe’s Riversides’ while also considering the actual experience of this transformation. The premise of this article is that the Haihe River has helped determine Tianjin’s politics of design via heritagisation: the historical processes through which cultural heritage is adapted to strategically promote favourable imagery of the river-city for political management purposes.