Palimpsests of the Revolution and Modern China: Historical Narratives of the War of Resistance in Television Dramas

Abstract

Chinese War of Resistance against Japan has been a pivotal part of modern history. Its representations and retellings were also crucial in reform-era public discourse. This study investigates the historical narratives of the War in contemporary Chinese popular culture, focusing on prime-time television dramas from 2000 onwards. It examines four significant works: Drawing Sword (Liangjian, 2005) with its adapted novel (1999), which reconsiders and reassesses the Communist Revolution from the origin to the end of the Cultural Revolution; Soldiers and Their Commander (Wode tuanzhang wode tuan, 2009), which uncovers the Nationalist Army’s involvement in the Allies’ front, Yunnan-Burma Campaigns; and Battle of Changsha (Zhan Changsha, 2014), which explores gender roles and family survival on the previously downplayed Nationalist frontlines. By situating these dramas within contemporary contesting discourses about modern China history, the study reveals how these popular narratives incorporate the War into the broader historical context of the Chinese Revolution (1911-1976) and highlight its significance to the nation’s transformation into a modern society. This study contends that such representations significantly transcended the roles of entertaining state propaganda or fanning consumerist nationalism. The thesis argues that War of Resistance television dramas simultaneously reinforce and challenge dominant ideologies of modern Chinese history. While they generally invoke wartime nationalism to place the reform-era nationalist discourse under the banner of national rejuvenation through socialist modernization, the representations tend to revisit the previously underplayed parts of history and navigate essential topics, including revolution and its sociocultural association with secret societies, the reevaluation of historical actors in the War, and the efforts and discussions about modernizing China’s social and political institutions, consciousness, and practices. Through inclusive lenses, these popular narratives incubate subversive meanings that challenge the mainstream historical narrative and create opportunities for critical reflection on modern Chinese history and the dominant nationalist discourse sanctioned by the official authorities.

Date of Award	14 Feb 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Shaoyang LIN (Supervisor), Vivian P Y LEE (Supervisor) & Lik Hang Tsui (Supervisor)