The Mediated Myth of Lin Zexu Social and Cultural Textures of Chinese Society

The Chinese scholar-official Lin Zexu played a crucial role in the First Opium War in the 19th century. Since 1978, the myth surrounding the historical figure is used to legitimise current rulers' political power, to celebrate dominant values, and to promote a certain associated way of life. By analysing Chinese media representations of the myth of Lin Zexu, Angelo Maria Cimino identifies the social and cultural significance of a mediated historical knowledge. He examines cultural products such as feature films, digital images, documentaries, cartoons, and songs, analyses their discursive practices and the responses they spawn, and explains how multiple agents within the Chinese media continuously generate and re-affirm the myth's cultural network.