A tale of two cities? an examination of the re-imagining of gold mining history at Gold Reef City and in Johannesburg's Main Street precinct

摘要

AbstractudThis research report attempts to examine how the story of gold, and gold mining, isudtold, and is being retold, at both the Victorian- themed Gold Reef City theme parkudand in within the Main Street mining precinct in the Johannesburg Central BusinessudDistrict (CBD). The report will therefore look at how imbued ideologies have resultedudin a particular formation of the mining heritage shown in both themed spaces. Worksudby de Certeau (1988) and Eco (1990), for example, form a framework for academicuddiscourse around practiced space within the ‘city’, and the nature of hyperreality.udOverall, and including results from participant observation at the theme park, andudsample surveys undertaken in the Main Street precinct, one is able to better attemptudan understanding of how the story of gold at both sites has been created by certainudideologies, and examine them in light Johannesburg’s changing persona in light ofudglobal influences.