Cultural Narratives of the Korean War in China,1950s–2020s
Open Access DepositedWar, Memory, and Ideology
rather, they are sites of cultural negotiation, shaped by changes in political legitimacy, national identity, and collective memory. In early decades, literary and cinematic representations were dominated by idealized heroic archetypes aligned with Party directives. Later, during the reform era, a degree of critical reflection and scholarly engagement emerged, particularly around questions of human agency and the war’s geopolitical complexity. In the post-2010 period, especially with state-supported cinematic productions, these narratives have been reinvigorated with advanced audiovisual technologies and infused with renewed nationalist sentiment—often balancing spectacle with emotional appeals to personal sacrifice. It also highlights the evolving role of cultural production in shaping historical consciousness and national identity in the PRC.
This thesis examines the historical evolution of Chinese narratives surrounding the Korean War (1950–1953), through the dual lenses of literature and film. Spanning from the 1950s to the present day, the study investigates how shifting political ideologies, state imperatives, and cultural trends have shaped the portrayal of this foundational conflict in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).This study argues that war narratives in the PRC are far from static
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