The reproduction of imagination: how do non-experiencers remember history?

ABSTRACT

In 1937, for a period of six weeks, the Imperial Japanese murdered approximately 300,000 people, including civilians, in Nanjing, China. This historical event is known as the Nanjing Massacre. As few survivors remain, studies on memory consumption can clarify how modern Chinese individuals remember this event. By writing the individual back into collective memory, this study identifies the importance of the Chinese state in fashioning individual remembrance of the Nanjing Massacre from the audience’s perspective. Specifically, drawing on the theoretical frameworks of remembrance and sites of memory, we analysed the interaction between memory consumers, memory representations, and memory makers. We focused on the relationship between visitors and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders and how the state permeated this process. This study adds to the literature by offering an empirical study of memory consumption. Through participant observations and 23 semi-structured interviews with visitors, we found that education systems and media constructed visitors’ pre-existing memories of the Nanjing Massacre. During their visit, the prosthetic memories of the interviewees were reproduced and re-verified. After they left the Memorial Hall, visitors’ reshaped memories awaited arousal at a future time.

KEYWORDS:

• Remembrance
• memory
• sites of memory
• prosthetic memory
• Nanjing massacre
• visitors

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Hanhan Hu, Haiyan Zhou, and Changzhi Liu for supporting and advising our research. We would also like to thank the editors and anonymous referees of this article, whose helpful and insightful comments and suggestions greatly strengthened this paper.

Data availability statement

The data used in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. In China, the term ‘red movies’ refers to a genre of films related to the theme of revolutionary history and the CCP that typically depict heroic stories, revolutionary struggles, and the accomplishments of the CCP during significant periods, such as the Chinese Revolution and the War of Liberation. In this context, ‘red’ symbolises the communist ideology and revolutionary spirit. Red movies often emphasise patriotism, loyalty to the party, and the promotion of socialist values.

2. The Ten Days of Yangzhou is a historical event in which the Qing army massacred the people of Yangzhou after occupying the city in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.

Notes on contributors

Xueying Wang

Xueying Wang is a PhD candidate at the School of Media and Communication at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She has a Master of Arts from Nanjing University. Her research interests include social media studies, media ethics, and culture studies.

Chen Li

Chen Li is a PhD candidate at the School of Media and Communication at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She has a Master of Laws degree from Tongji University. Her research interests include social media studies, political communication, and culture studies.

Geer Wu

Geer Wu is a PhD candidate at the School of Media and Communication at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She holds an MPA degree from Cornell University. Her research interests include fan culture, digital labour, and the communication effects of digital platforms.