Practicing and Managing Foreign Toponyms in China: Cultural Politics and Ideologies

This study examines the vogue of adopting foreign-origin place names in Chinese cities and governments’ endeavors to regulate toponymic landscape. The naming practices, management, public attitudes concerning foreign toponyms are analyzed reveal cultural politics ideologies China’s context. It is found that emplaced urban space mostly have Western origins or roots, their profusion largely attributed associated symbolic capital, clientele’s taste class identity. In rectification process, governments at different levels constructed themselves as protectors traditional culture guards against xenophilia, thus enhancing power governing legitimacy. general has resisted top-down planning via acts citizenship reclaim rights owning space. Our findings suggest nowadays, even highly regulated societies like China, it would be hard achieve expected goals when simply resort hegemonic implement (re)naming policies.