Abstract
Since 1983, the Chinese New Year’s Gala, or “Chunwan,” has been an annual live variety-show broadcast by China Central Television on Lunar New Year’s Eve. Even though it has a large audience and attracts nation and world-wide attention, there is little research critically reflecting on this significant phenomenological and cultural event. Employing a social constructionist perspective and the concept of collective memory (Halbwachs, 1992), this study examines how Chunwan (2008-2018) functions as a text to mediate national beliefs through (re)constructing collective memories of diverse Chinese audience groups.This qualitative study relies primarily on fifty-five hours of video for a decade of Chunwan broadcasts (approximately fifty-five hours). The video data was (re)coded multiple times using collective memory and social constructivist concepts then analyzed for patterns and discrepancies. The study analyzes ways Chunwan (re)constructs collective intergenerational Chinese memories that reinforce nationalism and a shared past. With shared memory, the boundary of private memory and collective memory is blurred and the two are fused as one. Additionally, the study uncovers that through narrative of individual and national success, group “venting,” and traumatic experiences, national pride is strengthened. The findings draw attention to the political and cultural functions of media texts.
Digital Media
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