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Heritage Tourism and Nation-Building: Politics of the Production of Chinese National Identity at the Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor

Author

Listed:
  • Hongni Wei

    (School of Business, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Yi Yu

    (School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China)

  • Zhenjie Yuan

    (Centre for Human Geography and Urban Development, School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
    Guangdong Provincial Center for Urban and Migration Studies, Guangzhou 510006, China)

Abstract

As an important embodiment and carrier of Chinese traditional culture, the rituals and ceremonies in heritage tourism not only carry profound spiritual and cultural connotations, such as respecting nature and worshiping ancestors, they also enable people to gain a sense of identity. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the relationship between heritage tourism and the politics of identity-building from the perspective of critical toponymy based on the case study of the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor. Drawing on five years’ of fieldwork at the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor in Shaanxi Province, China, this paper unfolds how heritage tourism has evolved into a certain kind of political agenda and a social engineering of nation-building. Relying on in-depth interviews and R language text analysis, this paper examines how Chinese national identity is produced, performed, and established through landscape naming and ritual performance in heritage tourism. This paper finds that (1) the naming and interpretation of ancestral roots cultural landscapes, as well as ritual performance in heritage tourism, are closely associated with cultural representations and reproductions of national identity. (2) The naming and interpretation of landscapes, as well as the performance of ritual practices in heritage tourism, are closely associated with national history and mythology. The tourists’ behaviors and emotions, as well as their performance and experiences during the ritual practice at the heritage tourism site, help to construct national identity. The cultural production and invention are combined with actions enacted by governments and local residents, as well as visitors from different backgrounds. (3) The mausoleum creates cultural links for Taiwanese tourists to understand their ancestral roots culture and thus to enhance their connection with the mainland. This paper tries to explore the relationship between heritage tourism and identity-building from the perspective of critical toponymy, which has implications for place branding and marketing projects when promoting ancestral roots culture and place-named tourism. This research not only helps the individuals to realize and reappreciate the value of traditional culture and heritage, it also motivates the individuals to rethink their responsibilities in cultural inheritance and the innovative development of culture. It also helps to enhance the consciousness of the people on both sides of the strait as a community of the Chinese nation, as well as to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

Suggested Citation

  • Hongni Wei & Yi Yu & Zhenjie Yuan, 2022. "Heritage Tourism and Nation-Building: Politics of the Production of Chinese National Identity at the Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-25, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:14:p:8798-:d:865670
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gillen, Jamie & Mostafanezhad, Mary, 2019. "Geopolitical encounters of tourism: A conceptual approach," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 70-78.
    2. Nicole Porter, 2020. "Strategic planning and place branding in a World Heritage cultural landscape: a case study of the English Lake District, UK," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(7), pages 1291-1314, July.
    3. Elizabeth Dinnie & Kirsty Blackstock & Rachel Dilley, 2012. "Landscapes of Challenge and Change: Contested Views of the Cairngorms National Park," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(4), pages 451-466.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jiayu Wang & Menghan Wang & Haohan Dou & Mingming Su & Hangyu Dong & Zhenhua Liu, 2023. "Research on Climate Change and Water Heritage Tourism Based on the Adaptation Theory—A Case Study of the Grand Canal (Beijing Section)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-17, May.

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