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Media Narratives of Xi’an's Urban Image: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Mainstream Media Reports from China, Britain, and America

Author(s)

Dou Chenxi*, Jiang Lingshen, Chen Kangning, Jia Guanxi, Jiang Kunjian

Affiliation(s)

School of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China *Corresponding Author.

Abstract

This study examines the evolution of Xi’an's urban image through a systematic analysis of mainstream media reports from both domestic and international sources since the 21st century, employing corpus analysis, LDA Model, and sentiment analysis. The findings reveal that domestic media have actively constructed a “fusion of tradition and modernity” narrative through a composite agenda model, shifting the discourse on Xi’an from historical and cultural themes to scientific and technological innovation. However, influenced by an Orientalist framework, British and American media have persistently simplified Xi’an as a “historic capital,” often juxtaposing it with Beijing and Shanghai, thereby undermining its modern attributes. Furthermore, the stigmatization of Xi’an in Western media has hindered public understanding of the city. Additionally, the Brand China strategy employed by Chinese external propaganda media has inadvertently reinforced self-Orientalization in symbolic representation. Consequently, future efforts should focus on developing a “Deep Xi’an” communication paradigm through the “composite encoding” of cultural symbols and multi-level agenda integration, offering strategic insights for Chinese cities to transcend Orientalist narratives.

Keywords

Urban Image Construction; News Reporting; Xi’an; Corpus Analysis; Belt and Road Initiative

References

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