Search

City Image Building from the Perspective of Multimodal Discourse Analysis: A Case Study of the Promotional Video “Follow Wukong to Shanxi”

Author(s)

Yihuan Chen, Yuqiao Chen, Yaohua Du

Affiliation(s)

Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University, Chinese Culture and Global Communication, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China

Abstract

In the context of globalisation and digital media development, city image construction has increasingly relied on digital communication strategies. However, traditional single-modal texts lack emotional appeal, while multimodal promotional videos which has just gained popularity in recent years remain under-researched in cross-cultural city branding. While “city image” is conventionally examined at the urban level, this study extends the concept to the provincial scale by taking Shanxi as its primary research object. To fill this gap, this study applies the framework of Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA), grounded in Systemic Functional Linguistics and visual grammar, to examine how Shanxi’s image is constructed through the promotional video ‘Follow Wukong to Shanxi’. The findings indicate that multimodal formats can integrate sensory elements to create immersive experiences, strengthen cultural identity, and foster cross-cultural communication. In doing so, this paper depicts that MDA offers a valuable analytical framework for understanding and optimising city branding strategies, particularly within the “game + cultural tourism” model.

Keywords

Multimodal Discourse Analysis; City Image; Cross-Culture Communication; Black Myth; Wukong

References

[1] Chen, S. (2015). Shaping of local city image under new media context. 2015 International Conference on Economics, Management, Law and Education, 207–210. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/emle-15/25846459 [2] Consalvo, M. (2022). Atari to Zelda: Japan’s videogames in global contexts. MIT Press. [3] Halliday, M. A. K. (1978). Language as social semiotic. Edward Arnold London. https://edisciplinas.usp.br/mod/resource/view.php?id=5033119#page=274 [4] Hou, Y. (2024). From virtual journeys to real travels: Exploring the impact of Chinese-themed digital games on international players’ tourism intentions. Modern Economics & Management Forum, 5(5), 910–915. https://doi.org/10.32629/memf.v5i5.2882 [5] Kress, G., & Leeuwen, T. van. (2001). Multimodal discourse: The modes and media of contemporary communication. Bloomsbury Academic. https://zh.z-library.sk/book/3430336/b05f4a/multimodal-discourse-the-modes-and-media-of-contemporary-communication.html [6] Kress, G., & Van Leeuwen, T. (2002). Colour as a semiotic mode: Notes for a grammar of colour. Visual Communication, 1(3), 343–368. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 147035720200100306 [7] Luca, I. S. (2020). A multimodal discourse analysis in media. Romanian Journal of English Studies, 17(1), 74–80. https://doi.org/10.1515/rjes-2020-0009 [8] Ly, T. H., & Jung, C. K. (2015). Multimodal discourse: A visual design analysis of two advertising images. International Journal of Contents, 11(2), 50–56. http://dx.doi.org/1 0.5392/IJoC.2015.11.2.050 [9] New China TV. (2024, August 22). Explore the real-world cultural landmarks of “Black Myth: Wukong” [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5IBs24dAAg [10] Nurudeen, M. A., Ogungbe, E. O., & Zakariyah, M. (2021). A socio semiotic approach to multimodal discourse of selected Nollywood film advertisement posters. Studies in Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis, 2(2), 31–45. [11] O’Halloran, K. L., Tan, S., Smith, B. A., & Podlasov, A. (2011). Multimodal analysis within an interactive software environment: Critical discourse perspectives. Critical Discourse Studies, 8(2), 109–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2011.558687 [12] Oakes, T. (2021). China’s urban ideology: New towns, creation cities, and contested landscapes of memory.Urban China Reframed. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003147367-4/china-urban-ideology-new-towns-creation-cities-contested-landscapes-memory-tim-oakes [13] Wang, Q., & Zhang, D. (2019). Branding city destinations: A comparative analysis of the multimodal discourse in Beijing and London publicity films. Chinese Semiotic Studies, 15(3), 379–410. https://doi.org/10.1515/css-2019-0022 [14] Wang, X. (2022). The persuasive mechanism of Wuhan city image videos based on multimodal discourse analysis: A diachronic study under the background of COVID-19. Journal of Innovation and Social Science Research, 2591, 6890. [15] Wang, X., & Lei, X. (2023). Discourse analysis of Chinese provincial and regional foreign promotional videos in the framework of Fairclough’s three-dimensional model. International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, 9(5), 398–430. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijlll.2023.9.5.438 [16] Wang, Y. (2024). From “online star city” to “long-term famous city”: Research on the strategy of city image communication in the new media era-Taking Harbin, the “online star city”, as an example. Advances in Education, Humanities and Social Science Research, 10(1), 136. [17] Wang, Y., & Feng, D. (2023). History, modernity, and city branding in China: A multimodal critical discourse analysis of Xi’an’s promotional videos on social media. Social Semiotics, 33(2), 402–425. https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2020.1870405 [18] Yao, Y., & Zhuo, Y. (2018). A multimodal discourse analysis of the promotional video of Hangzhou. English Language Teaching, 11(10), 121. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v11n10p121 [19] Zhou, L. (2020). A multi-modal discourse analysis on D&G’s advertisements. International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, 6(2), 99–102. [20] Zhu, Y. (2007). Theory and methodology of multimodal discourse analysis. Foreign Language Research, 5, 82–86. [21] Zhu, X. (2024). Shanxi scenic area offers free return visits. Explore real-world cultural landmarks of “Black Myth: Wukong.” China Daily. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202410/09/WS6705dec2a310f1265a1c6990.html [22] Zukin, S. (2012). Competitive globalization and urban change: The allure of cultural strategies. Rethinking Global Urbanism. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203118368-3/competitive-globalization-urban-change-sharon-zukin