Digital infrastructure and grassroots transformation in mountain urbanization: the case of Chongli, China’s Olympic mountain city

Abstract ID: 3.12716 | Accepted as Talk | Talk | TBA | TBA

Mengke Zhang (1)
(1) École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), EPFL CDH, CM 2 267, Station 10, 1015 Lausanne, CH

Categories: Culture, Economy, Fieldwork
Keywords: digital infrastructure, mountain urbanization, grassroots economies, ski tourism, China

Categories: Culture, Economy, Fieldwork
Keywords: digital infrastructure, mountain urbanization, grassroots economies, ski tourism, China

The content was (partly) adapted by AI
Content (partly) adapted by AI

This research explores the growing importance of digital infrastructure as a hybrid complex where physical and virtual spaces intersect, profoundly reshaping mountain urbanization in an increasingly digitized era. As part of my PhD project, the research focuses on the transformation of Chongli, China’s first Olympic mountain city co-hosting the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Through seven months of field research conducted between 2021 and 2024, I observed how digital platforms have become deeply embedded in local economies and social structures. A particularly compelling aspect is the role of grassroots communities and residents who, empowered by digital technologies, actively participate in and shape emerging mountain economies. This is evident in the proliferation of informal businesses offering ski- and tourism-related services—ranging from ski equipment rentals and apartment accommodations to ski instruction and adventure photography—facilitated by platforms such as Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok), and Huabei (China’s top ski service app). A striking example is the rise of Chongli’s estimated 3,000 independent ski instructors, often referred to as “black instructors” by ski resorts, which perceive them as unauthorized competitors. Many of these instructors, initially trained within resorts, have transitioned to independent work, leveraging digital platforms to attract a steady stream of clients and significantly increasing their earnings compared to traditional employment. This dynamic has, in turn, intensified the informal labor market while reshaping labor relations between ski resorts and local workers. By examining the intersection of digital platforms and mountain urbanization, this research highlights that digital technologies are not merely tools for economic exchange but have become integral to Chongli’s infrastructure. They are profoundly reshaping social connections in the mountains and providing new possibilities for “differential urbanization” in Chongli, which moves away from the homogeneity often seen in urbanization processes.

Choose the session you want to submit an abstract. Please be assured that similar sessions will either be scheduled consecutively or merged once the abstract submission phase is completed.

Select your preferred presentation mode
Please visit the session format page to get a detailed view on the presentation timings
The final decision on oral/poster is made by the (Co-)Conveners and will be communicated via your My#IMC dashboard

Please add here your abstract meeting the following requirements:
NO REFERNCES/KEYWORDS/ACKNOWEDGEMENTS IN AN ABSTRACT!
Limits: min 100 words, max 350 words or 2500 characters incl. tabs
Criteria: use only UTF-8 HTML character set, no equations/special characters/coding
Copy/Paste from an external editor is possible but check/reformat your text before submitting (e.g. bullet points, returns, aso)

Add here affiliations (max. 30) for you and your co-author(s). Use the row number to assign the affiliation to you and your co-author(s).
When you hover over the row number you are able to change the order of the affiliation list.

1
1

Add here co-author(s) (max. 30) to your abstract. Please assign the affiliation(s) of each co-author in the "Assigned Aff. No" by using the corresponding numbers from the "Affiliation List" (e.g.: 1,2,...)
When you hover over the row number you are able to change the order of the co-author list.

1
1
2
3
4
5
1
Close