Traversing the frontier: cultural-geopolitics of mainland Chinese day-tripping in a Hong Kong border town

Abstract

Focusing on the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border, this paper examines the complex relations between sovereignty, borders and mobilities highlighted by cross-border shopping activities in Sheung Shui, a border town in Hong Kong. Protests by locals against Chinese shoppers in general and parallel traders in particular, and counter-protest activities have been drawing media attention. The day-trippers are part and parcel of the landscape of cross-border mobilities and importantly, their activities bring about significant socio-cultural, economic and political impacts, and the creation of unique spaces of encounters. This research addresses the following questions: (1) In what ways is this frontier issue as much to do with the material culture of cross-border shopping as it is about debates relating to sovereignty, economic integration and social exclusion? (2) Who are the stakeholders and how do they negotiate their identities while traversing these frontier regions? (3) How can one assess antagonism towards Chinese shoppers in a meaningful way? (4) What happens when the Chinese state's rhetoric of 'One China' encounters the socio-political realities on the ground? Discussion shows how the cultural politics of day-tripping and human interactions permeate through the everyday, and weave into the fabric of contemporary socio-political life at the border.