Internationalization in Early Chinese Industrialization (1840s-1911): Representations and Perceptions in the Museum

Abstract

This paper discusses how industrial museums within the People’s Republic of China represent the international interferences and influences that characterised the first stages of China’s modern industrialization. In terms of methodology, this is a cross-disciplinary exercise that combines museum studies and discourse analysis to examine seven case studies. The investigation is developed on two levels: on the one hand, the production and delivery of narratives about the role of international factors in Chinese industrialization during the Late Qing dynasty (1840s-1911); on the other, the reception of such narratives by national and international audiences. The study concludes that the museums’ narratives of early internationalization are heterogeneous and present nuances depending on the institutions that produce them and the countries involved. Our results also evidence that visitors do not interact significantly with these narratives. Nevertheless, these narratives can still be understood as playing an important role in how Chinese industrial museums present and define China as a modern nation.