Branding process of cultural heritage in the context of rural revitalization in China: a case study of Qingtian County

Abstract Constructing geographical brands is an effective way to realize the creative transformation of cultural resources and promote the empowerment of rural revitalization via cultural industries. The process and mechanism by which cultural resources empower geographical brands have not yet been...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mei Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-03-01
Series:International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s41257-025-00127-9
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850040023666130944
author Mei Zhang
author_facet Mei Zhang
author_sort Mei Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Constructing geographical brands is an effective way to realize the creative transformation of cultural resources and promote the empowerment of rural revitalization via cultural industries. The process and mechanism by which cultural resources empower geographical brands have not yet been systematically studied. Based on Bourdieu’s capital theory, this paper examines how Qingtian County (Zhejiang Province) transformed its diverse cultural resources into various forms of capital through the branding process. The findings demonstrate that successful geographical brand development requires selecting the region’s typical cultural resources, including agricultural heritage, intangible cultural heritage, and foreign culture, and then transforming them into symbolic and cultural capital. The branding process reflects the combination of the functions of service-oriented government and the vitality and agency of the society. Cultural elements brought over by overseas Chinese are integrated with local culture, lending the brands a unique transnational flavor. This network of overseas Chinese has become a source of essential social capital and a distribution channel for importing foreign commodities and exporting Chinese agricultural products.
format Article
id doaj-art-d202601dde35400c8c90b5da2b4c472a
institution DOAJ
issn 2366-1003
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher SpringerOpen
record_format Article
series International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology
spelling doaj-art-d202601dde35400c8c90b5da2b4c472a2025-08-20T02:56:11ZengSpringerOpenInternational Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology2366-10032025-03-019112210.1186/s41257-025-00127-9Branding process of cultural heritage in the context of rural revitalization in China: a case study of Qingtian CountyMei Zhang0Center for Promotion of Cultural Development, Chinese Academy of Social SciencesAbstract Constructing geographical brands is an effective way to realize the creative transformation of cultural resources and promote the empowerment of rural revitalization via cultural industries. The process and mechanism by which cultural resources empower geographical brands have not yet been systematically studied. Based on Bourdieu’s capital theory, this paper examines how Qingtian County (Zhejiang Province) transformed its diverse cultural resources into various forms of capital through the branding process. The findings demonstrate that successful geographical brand development requires selecting the region’s typical cultural resources, including agricultural heritage, intangible cultural heritage, and foreign culture, and then transforming them into symbolic and cultural capital. The branding process reflects the combination of the functions of service-oriented government and the vitality and agency of the society. Cultural elements brought over by overseas Chinese are integrated with local culture, lending the brands a unique transnational flavor. This network of overseas Chinese has become a source of essential social capital and a distribution channel for importing foreign commodities and exporting Chinese agricultural products.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41257-025-00127-9Cultural heritageCultural capitalGeographical brandsRural revitalizationChina
spellingShingle Mei Zhang
Branding process of cultural heritage in the context of rural revitalization in China: a case study of Qingtian County
International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology
Cultural heritage
Cultural capital
Geographical brands
Rural revitalization
China
title Branding process of cultural heritage in the context of rural revitalization in China: a case study of Qingtian County
title_full Branding process of cultural heritage in the context of rural revitalization in China: a case study of Qingtian County
title_fullStr Branding process of cultural heritage in the context of rural revitalization in China: a case study of Qingtian County
title_full_unstemmed Branding process of cultural heritage in the context of rural revitalization in China: a case study of Qingtian County
title_short Branding process of cultural heritage in the context of rural revitalization in China: a case study of Qingtian County
title_sort branding process of cultural heritage in the context of rural revitalization in china a case study of qingtian county
topic Cultural heritage
Cultural capital
Geographical brands
Rural revitalization
China
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s41257-025-00127-9
work_keys_str_mv AT meizhang brandingprocessofculturalheritageinthecontextofruralrevitalizationinchinaacasestudyofqingtiancounty