REIMAGINING CHINESE SELF: AN EXPLORATION OF ETHNIC MINORITY REPRESENTATIONS IN POPULAR CULTURE SINCE 2000

Abstract

China, a nation with a rich history spanning centuries and a civilization that has withstood the test of time for thousands of years, has always captivated the world's attention with its transformation and strategic positioning on the global stage. Among the glories and struggles, how does Chinese imagine themselves today? This honours thesis draws on qualitative media analysis such as online documents, social media posts, and other types of digital content to explore how the public representation of ethnic minority evolves along with nationalist sentiments change in China. Drawing a comparison between the novel "Wolf Totem," published in 2004, and the rise of Dingzhen, a Tibetan influencer who gained fame in 2020, the paper investigates transformations in ethnic minority representation in popular culture from the 2000s to the 2020s. By integrating the framework of China's collective imagined community with the portrayal of ethnic minorities in popular culture, this research unpacks how contemporary Chinese individuals actively shape a new modern national identity in response to the rise of China. This paper explores changing landscape of Chinese collective sentiments and its complex relationship with global perceptions and internal challenges. Through the expression of ethnicminorities' public images, I suggest that China has moved beyond simply constructing its national image in relation to the West. Instead, with increased cultural confidence, China has shifted its focus to looking inward, seeking to achieve self-coherence in national identity.