Post-pandemic city branding: multimodal identity construction of Wuhan through a promotional video

Abstract Under globalization, city branding emerges as a strategic device to promote the dynamic development of cities in terms of economy, tourism, culture, and identity. Meanwhile, as multiple semiotics arise, a multimodal perspective adds a new dimension for city identity construction. This paper applies the multimodal identity construction framework to analyze Wuhan’s city identity based on a promotional video of Hubei Province officially released in 2021. An analysis of 117 linguistic clauses and 354 sections of film footage reveals the construction of a dual identity of Wuhan in the post-pandemic era: the “heroic city” and the “reenergized city.” The former identity is built through attributes including cooperation and solidarity, sacrifice and selflessness, openness and receptivity, and responsibility and capacity, whereas a “reenergized city” is realized by labeling Wuhan as both healthy and globalized. In addition, the contextual reasons why these identities were established for Wuhan are explained in terms of three aspects: a drive for urban recovery, transmission of national spirit, and confrontation of stigmatization.