Language choice and identity construction: linguistic landscape of Jianghan Road in Wuhan

Abstract

ABSTRACT A region’s identity is closely related to its semiotic landscape as well as history, economy and culture. This article explores the linguistic landscape of Jianghan Road, a historical business centre in Wuhan, P. R. China, by photographing and analysing 1308 official and unofficial signs in order to provide a snapshot of language choice and identity construction with economic, cultural and political considerations. A semi-structured interview was also undertaken with local people to elucidate their choices and perceptions of different linguistic codes on the signs. It has been found that identity construction of this street has undergone a conflicting and complex process due to its multiple identities as a former concession area, a commercial street and a modern tourist site. English plays a prominent role for decoration, modernity, internationalisation and other commercial purposes, especially on bottom-up signboards while Chinese, with traditional forms and local variants, not only performs the informative function but also demonstrates cultural identification and historical uniqueness. The language choice on signboards reflects this old neighbourhood’s continuous exploration of its identity and positioning in the modern era. This article sheds light on the ongoing research of linguistic landscape in central China and similar places in other Expanding Circle regions.