REMEMBERING THE TANGSHAN EARTHQUAKE: THE TEMPORAL, SPATIAL AND NEGOTIATED DIMENSIONS OF COMMEMORATIONS IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Abstract: Thirty-five years after the massive earthquake that shook the city on July 28, 1976, Tangshan residents still live with the scars of the losses and injuries that were suffered. This case study is about possible recent changes to commemorations and public memory in Tangshan. Firstly, it will examine how the Tangshan earthquake is commemorated publicly through monuments, ruins and at schools. Secondly, it will look at how the collective memory and Tangshan heritage is commemorated privately, including at the new Tangshan memorial park. Thirdly, I attempt to find out how the Sichuan earthquake and the movie Aftershock, which was based on the Tangshan tragedy, influenced discourses in contemporary Tangshan’s discussions around the 1976 earthquake. Thoughts on the flexibility of commemorations will conclude this thesis.