Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 地理學系 === 105 === As Lefebvre examined uneven development between Paris and the town of Pyrenees, he tried to advanced critical statement of everyday life and modernity. Relatively rural compared to other Taichung districts, Xinshe has had an annual Flora Exhibit that helps to boost Xinsheeconomy.This study adopts Lefebvre’s concept of spatial production to approach Xinshe Flora Exhibitwith a three-dimensional analysis. This study also blends the concept of“the third space”,“heterotopia” and “the tourist gaze”to discuss the social space evolution of the Exhibit.
In recent years, leisure farming plays an important role in shaping Taiwan’s rural areas. So, farmers fallow their farmland for seeding flowers. Tens of thousands visitors coming to Xinshe seem to spur its economy. But could such activity enable local sustainable development? This is one motivation for this study.
This study discovers that the flora exhibit was firstly an open-day activity from Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station (TSIPS), which is an extension agency of Council of Agriculture. TSIPS plan its nursery for the flora show at the Second Sowertime. While after the 921-Earthquake of 1999, Xinshe faced economic crisis,and traditional industry was forced to transform or relocate. Thus leisure industry became the reasons for Xinshe Flora Exhibit. The activities successfully inspire the imagination for new economic development. TSIPS plants lavenders and sunflowers to create a leisure and foreign image of flower beds. At the same time, the flora exhibit is an educational space to advocate various agricultural policies. With activities successfully attracting visitors, the scale of the exhibit expanded yearly. After ten years, theExhibit has become a "virtual and physical" space, which has been created by various stakeholders, such as the local governments, TSIPS, Xinshe Leisure Guides’ Association, etc.
As a sightseeing space,Xinshe Flora Exhibit isbotha leisure pace for visitors and commodity space for vendors.The hectic pace of both spaces exists simultaneously, and it becomes a “heterotopia” space. Xinshe Flora Exhibit seems to becomea night market, due to the economic practice of floral farmers. Tourist’s leisure practice in theExhibit makes it a theme park. However, marginalized groups and local residents excluded by main actors stand up to fight against the hectic space produced by the Exhibit. Disordered traffic and frequent traffic controls makes living here an ordeal.The negotiation between the desire for economic return and the longing for ordinary life peace makes the Exhibit acontroversial subject. Itis time to ask what sustainable agriculture or sustainable development means for Xinshe by introducing voices of the local residents.
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