Visitor Heritage Discourse On UGC Platforms

China has been vigorously developing cultural heritage,promoting people to enhance cultural consciousness and strengthen cultural confidence.However,Chinese cultural heritage undertakings have been still constrained by western “authorized heritage discourse” and only authoritative discourse communities such as heritage experts and scholars have been laid enough emphasis on.With the advent of the Web2.0 era,heritage discourse constructed by visitors on user-generated content(UGC)platforms has been effectively disseminated and widely consumed,which makes them a non-negligible and new discourse subject.This thesis applies combined theories of cultural discourse studies and multimodal discourse analysis.It employs both quantitative and qualitative analysis to do a case study of visitors’ comments on three representative historic blocks in Shaoxing(Cangqiao Historical Street,Former Residence of the Sage of Calligraphy and Bazi Bridge Historic Block)on Dianping.com.The major findings include three parts:discourse content,contributors to discourse effect,and its cultural characteristics.Regarding discourse content,“local characteristics” accounting for the highest proportion emphasizes visitors’ pursuit of uniqueness and the objection to homogenization,which derives from the exploration of local history and culture.“Local life” as a positive component reveals visitors’ approval of retaining original residents and the yearning for the simple and peaceful life.“Degree of commercialization” is an important criterion of assessing the value and charm of heritage sites,and the degree of commercialization is positively related to the number of monotonous stores as well as disappointing features brought about by developing scenic areas while negatively related to the integrity rate of heritage sites.In addition,the juxtaposition of mutually complementary texts and images reflects its effective and moderate qualities as internet discourse.As for contributors to discourse effect,UGC platforms as the discourse medium enable discourse to be collaboratively constructed by multiple modes and make twoway interaction possible.As regards the discourse subject,a large number of visitors gathered on this platform have different concerns and criteria.Multimodal collaboration as well as bilateral interaction realized by the discourse medium and the heterogeneity of the discourse subject make discourse more informative,more useful,and more authentic.With respect to cultural characteristics,discourse reflects visitors’ pursuit of regionality,inclination of the holistic perception and expression of nostalgic complex.Unlike the “Outstanding Universal Value” promoted by western authorized heritage discourse,visitors attach more value to regional features and it is highlighted that the“Outstanding Universal Value” should not be catered to at the expense of local characteristics.Visitors’ holistic perception is reflected on their aesthetic pursuit of beauty of artistic conception and the value orientations to harmony between man and nature,which are different from western emphasis on the readability of information contained in heritage’s physical entities and the desire of mastery over nature.Cultural heritage can also inspire and satisfy visitors’ nostalgic feelings by dispelling the sense of discontinuity and stimulating their sense of identity.