A Bite of China: China's Attempt to Project Soft Power

A Bite of China is a food-themed documentary that was broadcast on the China Central Television(CCTV) on May 14, 2014. It has soon become popular among both domestic and International audiences. However, the show is not considered to be just food-related, but a way to present China's history and culture through the country's cuisine. The popularity of A Bite of China has spurred my curiosity to investigate the factors that contribute to the attractiveness of the series. Food serves as a window through which both domestic and international audiences get to understand China's culinary culture. According to the statements of Director Chen Xiaoqing, the main motivation to create the series is to show China's culinary culture to the whole world in order to promote Chinese culture. Since it is challenging to collect and analyze the audiences' feedback about the show, l will focus on the producers' perspectives to investigate the production and presentation of A Bite of China. In this...Show moreA Bite of China is a food-themed documentary that was broadcast on the China Central Television(CCTV) on May 14, 2014. It has soon become popular among both domestic and International audiences. However, the show is not considered to be just food-related, but a way to present China's history and culture through the country's cuisine. The popularity of A Bite of China has spurred my curiosity to investigate the factors that contribute to the attractiveness of the series. Food serves as a window through which both domestic and international audiences get to understand China's culinary culture. According to the statements of Director Chen Xiaoqing, the main motivation to create the series is to show China's culinary culture to the whole world in order to promote Chinese culture. Since it is challenging to collect and analyze the audiences' feedback about the show, l will focus on the producers' perspectives to investigate the production and presentation of A Bite of China. In this thesis, the concept of soft power which proposed by American scholar Joseph.S.Nye will be applied in the analysis of the show. The connection between China's soft power and the presentation of the show will be built to some extent.Show less

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A Bite of China: China's Attempt to Project Soft Power