Anywhere but here: Experiences of islandness in Pearl River Delta island tourism
This study considers the phenomenology of ‘islandness’ by analysing the experiences of tourists, islanders, and migrant tourism workers on two Chinese islands in the South China Sea. Although we begin by presuming place to be a phenomenological concept centring on ‘being-in-the-world’, we find that...
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University of Prince Edward Island
2020-05-01
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doaj-922a561ba41e404ea013a7e33ecc44fd2020-11-25T03:23:29ZengUniversity of Prince Edward IslandIsland Studies Journal1715-25931715-25932020-05-0115120522210.24043/isj.115Anywhere but here: Experiences of islandness in Pearl River Delta island tourismZhikang Wang0Mia M. Bennett1Department of Geography, University of Hong Kong, Hong KongDepartment of Geography & School of Modern Languages & Cultures (China Studies Programme), University of Hong Kong, Hong KongThis study considers the phenomenology of ‘islandness’ by analysing the experiences of tourists, islanders, and migrant tourism workers on two Chinese islands in the South China Sea. Although we begin by presuming place to be a phenomenological concept centring on ‘being-in-the-world’, we find that people’s experiences both on and off the islands of Dong’ao and Wailingding engender a desire to ‘be-in-many-worlds’ at once. Findings drawn from three months of ethnographic fieldwork suggest that while tourists privilege ‘being-at-the-seaside’, long-term residents prioritize being both ‘on’ and ‘off’ the island. Meanwhile, migrant tourism workers’ sense of islandness emerges from ‘being-at-the- seaside’ and ‘being-on-the-island’. In all cases, we find that islands challenge people’s desires to dwell in just one specific place to which they have an attachment. We argue that this liminal place attachment arises partly because the physical geography ofislands, being surrounded by the sea, facilitates movement and may prompt a longing for elsewhere. Our findings have consequences for the phenomenology of place, which assumes that people have an innate desire to be somewhere. Yet thinking through and from islands shows that people equally wish to be somewhere else, too. The manifold human experiences of islandness underscore the need for a more relational phenomenology of place based not just on ‘being-in-the-world’, but rather ‘in-many-worlds’ at once.chinaexperienceislandsisland tourismislandnesspearl river deltaphenomenology |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Zhikang Wang Mia M. Bennett |
spellingShingle |
Zhikang Wang Mia M. Bennett Anywhere but here: Experiences of islandness in Pearl River Delta island tourism Island Studies Journal china experience islands island tourism islandness pearl river delta phenomenology |
author_facet |
Zhikang Wang Mia M. Bennett |
author_sort |
Zhikang Wang |
title |
Anywhere but here: Experiences of islandness in Pearl River Delta island tourism |
title_short |
Anywhere but here: Experiences of islandness in Pearl River Delta island tourism |
title_full |
Anywhere but here: Experiences of islandness in Pearl River Delta island tourism |
title_fullStr |
Anywhere but here: Experiences of islandness in Pearl River Delta island tourism |
title_full_unstemmed |
Anywhere but here: Experiences of islandness in Pearl River Delta island tourism |
title_sort |
anywhere but here: experiences of islandness in pearl river delta island tourism |
publisher |
University of Prince Edward Island |
series |
Island Studies Journal |
issn |
1715-2593 1715-2593 |
publishDate |
2020-05-01 |
description |
This study considers the phenomenology of ‘islandness’ by analysing the experiences of tourists, islanders, and migrant tourism workers on two Chinese islands in the South China Sea. Although we begin by presuming place to be a phenomenological concept centring on ‘being-in-the-world’, we find that people’s experiences both on and off the islands of Dong’ao and Wailingding engender a desire to ‘be-in-many-worlds’ at once. Findings drawn from three months of ethnographic fieldwork suggest that while tourists privilege ‘being-at-the-seaside’, long-term residents prioritize being both ‘on’ and ‘off’ the island. Meanwhile, migrant tourism workers’ sense of islandness emerges from ‘being-at-the- seaside’ and ‘being-on-the-island’. In all cases, we find that islands challenge people’s desires to dwell in just one specific place to which they have an attachment. We argue that this liminal place attachment arises partly because the physical geography ofislands, being surrounded by the sea, facilitates movement and may prompt a longing for elsewhere. Our findings have consequences for the phenomenology of place, which assumes that people have an innate desire to be somewhere. Yet thinking through and from islands shows that people equally wish to be somewhere else, too. The manifold human experiences of islandness underscore the need for a more relational phenomenology of place based not just on ‘being-in-the-world’, but rather ‘in-many-worlds’ at once. |
topic |
china experience islands island tourism islandness pearl river delta phenomenology |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT zhikangwang anywherebuthereexperiencesofislandnessinpearlriverdeltaislandtourism AT miambennett anywherebuthereexperiencesofislandnessinpearlriverdeltaislandtourism |
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