Cultural Identity and Urban Image of Hanzhong in the New Media Era

Abstract

With the in-depth development of digital technology, urban image communication is undergoing a profound transformation from one-way dissemination to multi-stakeholder co-creation. Taking Hanzhong – the birthplace of Han culture – as a case study, this paper explores how new media facilitates the modernization of urban image communication through reconstructing communicators, translating cultural symbols, and reshaping emotional connections. The study reveals that social media's empowerment mechanisms enable diverse actors to co-create urban narratives, technology facilitates the contemporary translation of traditional cultural symbols, and systematic emotional communication strategies effectively construct a pathway from "visual attraction" to "cultural identity." By analyzing Hanzhong's practices, this paper proposes a new paradigm of urban image communication centered on "multi-stakeholder co-creation, symbolic translation, and emotional resonance," offering theoretical and practical insights for image-building and identity enhancement in similar historical and cultural cities