Environment and Social Psychology

Mapping the Landscape of City Branding in China: A Scoping Review (2014-2025)

Qian Li

Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia

Suhardi Maulan

Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia

Adam Aruldewan S.Muthuveeran

Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i11.4235

Keywords: City branding; China; Governance; Spatial inequality; Symbolic participation; Digital platformization; Localization; Ideology

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Abstract

This study provides a systematic review of English-language literature on city branding in China, analyzing 56 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2014 and March 2025. It identifies three interrelated dimensions: governance structures, localization pathways, and spatial configurations, which collectively shape branding practices. Using a Governance-Localization-Space framework, the study maps thematic distributions and interdisciplinary patterns, revealing the dominance of top-down narratives, uneven spatial representation, and limited grassroots inclusion. Although branding strategies frequently emphasize co-creation and public participation, such efforts often remain symbolic and are constrained by institutional hierarchies and algorithmic mediation. Core cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen receive disproportionate policy attention and discursive prominence, while inland and mid-sized cities face structural disadvantages in visibility, capacity, and narrative agency. To account for these dynamics, the study introduces the concept of the State-Space-Ideology Complex, framing city branding as a governance mechanism influenced by centralized authority, spatial inequality, and symbolic control. It highlights persistent tensions such as performative collaboration versus institutional asymmetry and global aspirations versus local grounding. The study contributes to city branding scholarship by moving beyond market-oriented and Western-centric paradigms, offering a context-sensitive analysis of branding under state-led governance. It concludes by proposing future research directions that prioritize marginalized perspectives, everyday spatial practices, and diverse methodological approaches, laying a foundation for more inclusive and critically engaged studies in non-Western urban contexts.

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