SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This chapter is the second part of an exploration into the history and meaning of landscapes, based on a case study of the “must-see” scenic spots or Eight Views (bajing 八景) of Linfen County in the south of China's Shanxi province. While the first part focused on the value of these iconic landscapes as sources of identity, this chapter will show how their aesthetic appreciation is intrinsically linked to their productive power. The author argues that it was largely the idea of productivity that made these landscapes amenable for aesthetic consumption and viable as sources of identity and meaning. It was the inherent instability of these productive aspects that made their aesthetic appreciation even more significant, as it ultimately depended on the precarious balance between the two.