Heng-Chang Chi

Transnational food geographies and culinary cultures in Thai restaurants of Taipei
Supervisors: Professor Peter Jackson and Professor Nicky Gregson
This project is funded by the ORS/University scholarship

I am interested in understanding consumption and transnational commodity cultures in a globalizing world. My past research includes the 'Hari culture' (Japan-fever) and the landscape of consumption in Ximending, Taipei. I examined these cultural-political geographies of consumption through the historical comparison from Japanese colonized Taiwan and postcolonial Taiwan. My research pointed out that particular urban spaces represent/articulate a variety of the geographical imaginations of Japan through the practice of 'consuming Japan'.

Presently, I am writing my doctoral thesis, researching on transnational food geographies and culinary cultures of Thai restaurants in Taipei. My research explores the following three directions:

Transnationalism
This research traces the development of Thai restaurants in Taiwan through the transnational migrant and transnational commodity cultures

Material cultures
This research explores the transnational taste and culinary cultures through the discussion of social distinction and material cultures dimension

Authenticity and contemporary political culture
This research examines the process of authentication, focusing on the culinary claims made by different stakeholder in Thai restaurant

Research interests

Food geography, consumption and material cultures

Education

MSc Building and Planning, National Taiwan University, Taiwan (2001)
Master Dissertation: From Colonial City to Hari (Japan freak) City: Landscapes of Consumption in Ximending, Taipei
BA History, National Chung-Cheng University, Taiwan (1998)

Publications

• Chi, Heng-Chang (2009). Authenticity? Food geography of Thai restaurants in Taipei. Taiwanese Cultural Studies Monthly, 89.
  http://140.112.191.178/csa/journal/index.asp?Period=89
• Chi, Heng-Chang (2003). "Hari City": Youth Spaces and Consumer Cultures in Ximending, Taipei. In: Chiou, Shwu-Wen (ed.) Japanese Popular Culture in Taiwan and Asia (II), Envisage: A Journal Book of Chinese Media Studies. Yuan-Liou Press, Taipei.
• Chi, Heng-Chang (2002). "Hari City" and Cultural Studies of Urban Space: Ximending as a Japan-fever city. Taiwanese Cultural Studies Monthly, 14.
  http://140.112.191.178/csa/journal/14/journal_park92.htm

Conferences Presentations

• Chi, Heng-Chang, Ethno-consumption and Transnational Space: Thai Restaurants in Taipei. presented at the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers Annual International Conference (RGS-IBG), Manchester, UK. August. 2009
• Chi, Heng-Chang, Contesting authenticity: Thai restaurants in Taiwan. presented at the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting (AAG), Las Vegas, April, 2009.
• Chi, Heng-Chang, Authenticity? Food geography of Thai restaurants in Taipei. Paper presented at the Taiwanese Cultural Studies Association Annual Meeting, Taipei: Taiwan Normal University, Jan 2009.
• Chi, Heng-Chang, Eating and the others: Thai and Japanese food in Taiwan. Paper presented at the Asia and Others International Conference, Taipei: Taiwan Normal University, 23th June 2007.
• Chi, Heng-Chang, "Hari (Japan-fever) City" and Youth Space in Ximending, Taipei, Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Taiwanese Sociological Association, Taipei: Fu Jen Catholic University

Contact Details

Address: University of Sheffield, Department of Geography, Winter Street, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
Tel: +44 (0)114 222 7973
Fax: +44 (0)114 222 7907
Email:ggp06hc@sheffield.ac.uk