Introduction: Cultural History and Heritage in Chinese Theme Parks

Abstract

Globally, one of the most significant trends in theme park development over the past decade has been the increasing focus on intellectual properties as sources of theming. While theme parks in China have also participated in this trend, cultural history in general and Chinese cultural history and heritage in particular have continued to be popular sources of theming. Chinese theme parks, whether public or private enterprises, have thus contributed to the state-led ‘heritage turn’ in China, which from the 1980s onwards has used cultural history and heritage to foster cultural nationalism. The articles gathered here examine the specific motifs and strategies of the commercial, ‘unauthorized’ heritage turn in Chinese theme parks and, by bridging the gap between English- and Chinese-language research on theme parks, seek to foster interdisciplinary and intercultural scholarly exchange in the field of theme park studies.