A Study On The Production Of China's Grand Canal Heritage From The Perspective Of Critical Discourse Analysis

With the upsurge of the heritage movement,the concept of The World Heritage has been known by more and more people.Under the leadership of the "Authorized Heritage Discourse"(AHD),the practice activities in the name of heritage has gradually evolved into an international cultural and political movement.The heritage selected by the state breaks away from the original cultural environment and is endowed with a new identity in the interpretation of "international standard" and "universal value".In order to expose the factors and process of China’s Grand Canal becoming a world heritage site,this study uses Critical Discourse Analysis(CDA)to analyze nomination files and the news reports related to the inscription of the Grand Canal from three aspects,including discourse production,space production and cultural production.The research shows that the existence of the Grand Canal heritage is not inherent,but transformed under the influence of power,ideology and other factors.The reason why the Grand Canal can obtain the status of "The World Heritage" is because it has gone through the production of heritage.In view of the application process of the Grand Canal of China,the main conclusions are as follows:(1)In the process of heritage practice,the discourse authority possessed by international standards has resulted in the discourse production of the Grand Canal in the process of applying for World Heritage.Whether it is the heritage discourse that caters to the western aesthetic values,or the heritage practice based on the authenticity and integrity,the response of the Grand Canal of China to the international standards in the heritage declaration is essentially a compromise to authorized heritage discourse.(2)Under the construction of power,capital and daily life,China’s Grand Canal has completed the production of space.In the process of heritage practice,the original space of the canal has been shaped by the promotion of heritage discourse system and national power.In the cooperation and competition among government power,capital market and local subject,the heritage space of the canal is finally produced and becomes an important place for power struggle of all parties.(3)With the help of the cultural production of China’s Grand Canal,people’s cultural identity is constructed.In the process of heritage practice,according to the current needs,canal culture is endowed with new connotations and characteristics in a specified way.Based on the needs of national political narrative and self-development,canal culture is constantly being updated and reconstructed.With the creation of cultural memory and the realization of cultural rights,canal heritage has become an important means for the authorities to construct and strengthen their identity.