Geoscience Reference
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Figure 3. Tour of Chongming. Photo by
author, 2010
discourse to them. h e online conversation, primarily engaged in by young
off -island educated elites, is not centered on whether Chongming should or
should not develop its economy, but, rather, how to develop the eco-city
fairly to benefi t all the islanders.
When the attention of the world briefl y focused on Dongtan, journalists
largely skipped over Chongming Island to rave about Dongtan's techno-
utopian features. But skipping over Chongming takes Dongtan out of impor-
tant debates: about how to fully represent ecological dreams of and on the
island and its residents, the role of the island vis-à-vis Shanghai, and the
sublimation of its violent past. Chongming Islanders are used to this neglect,
and largely tired of it. h ey are demanding new rights, drawn from the sense
of social belonging that the bridge (along with the Internet) has brought to
the island.
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