The hidden imaginary of regional others: A case study of Zhuhai–Macau cross-border workers in the Lingnan Community in Zhuhai, China

The Zhuhai–Macau cross-border workers (“Macau workers” in short) are a group of people (mostly from Mainland of China) who work in Macau while living in Zhuhai everyday. Thanks to their unique way of life and production, this social imaginary of Macau workers has been regarded as “others” by the government and society of both Macau and Zhuhai. By conducting an extensive architectural anthropological field investigation of the Lingnan Community in Zhuhai, a typical “sleeping community” for Macau workers, this groundbreaking paper endeavors to explore the question of how to address the housing and living needs of Macau workers while improving vitality and diversification of the community. Last but not least, to build upon Tim Cresswell’s six facts of politics of mobility, this paper further examines the spatial representation of Macau workers’ politico-economic and socio-cultural attributes, to “see” the daily life of the hidden imaginary clearer by addressing their motivation, route, rhythm, speed, experience, and identity.