ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the practice of Zheng Dazhen, a Quanzhou-based artist and curator turned cultural entrepreneur who endeavors to revitalize West Street, an old neighborhood in the historic city of Quanzhou, by tapping into the city government’s cultural heritage conservation effort and its promotion of cultural and creative industries. Since 2010, she has established several facilities such as a youth inn, library, bookshop, and teahouse and organized public events that mix commercial and cultural functions to promote a lifestyle grounded in an appreciation for the place-specific local identity and cultural traditions. Freely crossing over commercial, cultural, art, and everyday living spaces, Zheng’s multidisciplinary practice has demonstrated the potential of informal life politics through artistic activities in stimulating the growth of community consciousness for collective action and public participation in shaping the discourse of urban regeneration in this old neighborhood.
