Different yet united: Cultural identity and archaeological heritage in public museums in contemporary China

Abstract

This article analyses the assertion of Chinese national identity through museological and museographic practices of enhancing Chinese archaeological heritage in contemporary public museums in China. Museum practices on prehistoric collections displayed in permanent exhibitions reveal a narrative account of Chinese civilisation that exploits the past and the inherently incomplete nature of prehistory to establish the current nationalistic characteristics of collective cultural identity in China.

With a case study of China's Neolithic pottery exhibits, this analysis uses primary data collected during field research. It includes analytical details on the content of permanent galleries in public museums, interviews with museum staff, and written visitor questionnaires. The exhibits of Chinese Neolithic vessels highlight the efforts of contemporary public museums in providing narratives about the prehistoric past with socio-political functions, which disseminate the identity values of unity and cohesion. In this context, Chinese identity is defined in cultural-historical terms, which, legitimised by the supposed millenary cultural continuity of Chinese civilisation, homogenise differences by promoting a cultural unicum with an assimilatory intent summarised in the paradigm ‘unity in diversity’ or ‘plural unity’ (duoyuan yiti多元一體). The scientific discipline of archaeology, legitimised by the authority of the museum institution and supported by highly effective museographic choices, lends credibility to the narratives presented in museums.

This study sheds light on the role of museum strategies that intersect with broader political, cultural and social dynamics in an era of economic neo-liberalism and a booming heritage industry, and that reinforce the values of cultural nationalism domestically and are charged with China's claim to be among the great civilisations internationally.