AN ANALYSIS OF THE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION MECHANISMS OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL CULTURAL SYMBOLS

In the contemporary era characterized by the intertwining forces of globalization and digitization, strengthening the overseas dissemination of Chinese traditional cultural symbols represents not only a strategic imperative for boosting national cultural soft power and building a community with a shared future for mankind, but also a critical pathway for engaging in global cultural competition and showcasing the spiritual identity of Chinese civilization. The current international communication paradigm is undergoing a profound transformation, shifting from one-way "propaganda" to two-way "communication," and from "delivering culture" to "planting culture." This evolution aims to achieve a transition from simply "going out" to deeply "integrating into" global audiences through cultural resonance. This shift necessitates that communication activities move beyond the superficial display of symbols to focus on the construction of underlying mechanisms, thereby enhancing the affinity, impact, and recognition of Chinese culture.

This paper focuses on a systematic analysis of the intercultural communication mechanisms for Chinese traditional cultural symbols. The core issue lies in parsing the internal composition, dynamic operational principles, and pathways for efficacy enhancement of these mechanisms. Specifically, it will explore how cultural symbols establish emotional connections with overseas audiences through modern reinterpretation and narrative innovation, as exemplified by the Henan TV's "Chinese Festivals" series which revitalizes traditional elements; how diverse communication actors—official institutions, civil society, corporations, overseas Chinese communities—can collaborate to form synergistic forces; and how different communication channels and platforms can be integrated and interact, ultimately achieving effective communication and the construction of cultural identity within cross-cultural contexts.

Chinese cultural symbols are material or spiritual entities created through the historical practices of the Chinese nation, capable of transcending their immediate forms to carry specific cultural meanings and values; they are concentrated expressions of national characteristics and spiritual identity. Their connotations span multiple dimensions including philosophical thought, artistic forms, festivals and customs, and natural landscapes, such as Chinese characters, Spring Festival, Kung Fu, and the Dunhuang frescoes. Classification can be based on the following dimensions: Material and Non-material Dimension: Material symbols include architecture and artifacts (e.g., the Forbidden City, silk); non-material symbols include festivals and philosophical thoughts (e.g., Spring Festival, Daoist thought). Classical and Modern Reinterpretation Dimension: Classical symbols (e.g., traditional Chinese painting) emphasize historical continuity, while modern reinterpretations (e.g., naming the space station "Tiangong") achieve innovative transformation often enabled by technology. Furthermore, the symbolic system exhibits a pyramidal structure: the top level comprises overarching symbols (e.g., the national flag), the middle tier consists of key symbols (e.g., the Yellow River, the Great Wall), and the base level includes regional symbols (e.g., the Water-Splashing Festival, the horse-head fiddle), reflecting the "pluralistic and integrated" cultural pattern.

Intercultural communication theory originated in the 1950s with Edward Hall's "The Silent Language," focusing on information exchange and cultural adaptation across different cultural backgrounds. Core theories include: Cultural Dimensions Theory: Such as Hofstede's dimensions like power distance and individualism-collectivism, which analyze the influence of cultural differences on communication. Semiotic Theory: Emphasizing the relationship between the signifier and the signified, where the interpretation of cultural symbols relies on specific cultural contexts. Soft Power Theory: Positing cultural symbols as carriers of national image, enhancing cultural attractiveness through value resonance. Existing research often focuses on the ontological classification of symbols or one-way dissemination strategies, lacking systematic deconstruction of the communication mechanisms themselves.

The core dimensions of the intercultural communication mechanism for Chinese traditional cultural symbols are manifested in three aspects: the intrinsic dynamic mechanism, the external practice mechanism, and the operational and feedback mechanism. The intrinsic dynamic mechanism focuses on the translation and revitalization of the cultural symbols themselves, wherein modern reinterpretation activates the symbolic core through innovative expression, as exemplified by the film Nezha integrating traditional mythological themes with modern narratives of personal struggle, effectively overcoming the cultural discount and achieving global market success; narrative reconstruction endeavors to excavate universal human values embedded within the symbols, such as concepts of "harmony" and "family," with the documentary A Bite of China eliciting widespread resonance among overseas audiences by showcasing the ethical emotions behind food practices; technological empowerment utilizes new qualitative productive forces like AI and VR to reshape the presentation and experience of symbols, such as the digital restoration of the Dunhuang murals enabling immersive virtual displays, significantly enhancing interactive engagement . The external practice mechanism involves multi-stakeholder collaboration and integrated channel convergence during the dissemination process. In terms of stakeholder collaboration, constructing a multi-actor network of "government guidance, corporate operation, and public participation" is crucial, for instance, collaborations between official institutions and overseas sinologists can accurately target audiences; channel convergence emphasizes the integration of social new media like TikTok with offline cultural festivals (e.g., overseas Spring Festival tours) to form an integrated communication matrix that generates online traction and offline experiences; layered communication strategies necessitate differentiated approaches for audiences from diverse cultural backgrounds, such as radiating first within culturally proximate East Asian circles before respecting and integrating into the local cultural context of target regions through principles like the "parlour principle". 

The operational and feedback mechanism ensures the effectiveness and adaptability of communication activities, centering on the construction of an effect evaluation indicator system and feedback adjustment. Effect evaluation requires quantifying communication efficacy across multiple dimensions such as awareness, reputation, and identification; feedback and dynamic adjustment rely on tools like big data for public opinion monitoring, enabling timely content and strategy refinements, as seen in The Wandering Earth 2enhancing its narrative of a shared future for humanity based on international feedback, thereby optimizing communication outcomes. Currently, while the intercultural communication of Chinese traditional cultural symbols has achieved significant results, it also faces a series of practical challenges and deep-seated dilemmas. The primary challenge lies in the prevalence of "cultural discount" and misunderstandings, as profound cultural backgrounds and contextual differences lead to significant loss and misinterpretation of the symbols' deep connotations during transmission, hindering accurate comprehension and acceptance by overseas audiences. Secondly, narrative capacity requires further enhancement; some communication content suffers from stereotypical or one-sided presentation, or excessive adaptation to Western perspectives in pursuit of "international expression," resulting in distorted cultural representation and a failure to fully demonstrate the richness and contemporaneity of Chinese culture. Furthermore, the structure of communication actors is imbalanced; compared to officially led initiatives, participation from non-governmental organizations, social groups, and individuals remains insufficient, which sometimes renders the communication overly official, affecting its affinity and diversity. Additionally, a lack of systematic planning and long-term sustainability poses another major difficulty, leading to fragmented communication activities that struggle to achieve a continuous and lasting impact. 

In response to the aforementioned challenges, optimization pathways should focus on the following aspects: first, strengthening content innovation by delving into the value connotations of traditional cultural symbols, promoting their creative transformation and innovative development, and striving to build excellent cultural brands that possess both national characteristics and global significance ; second, improving the communication network by actively encouraging collaborative participation from diverse actors including government, market, society, and individuals, and constructing an integrated communication matrix that combines online and offline channels as well as official and non-governmental avenues ; third, enhancing intercultural communication competence by intensifying research into the cultural psychology and acceptance habits of target audiences, adhering to the principles of intercultural communication, and cultivating interdisciplinary talents proficient in both Chinese culture and international communication rules ; fourth, establishing a scientific evaluation and feedback system that quantifies communication effects from multiple dimensions such as awareness, reputation, and identification, and uses this data to dynamically optimize and adjust communication strategies. 

Therefore, effective intercultural communication of Chinese traditional cultural symbols relies on the organic whole formed by the intrinsic dynamic mechanism, the external practice mechanism, and the operational and feedback mechanism, as well as their synergistic interactions. In the future, against the broader backdrop of building a community with a shared future for humanity, the dissemination of traditional cultural symbols should be more deeply integrated into global civilizational dialogue, actively embracing the principles advocated by the Global Civilization Initiative, such as respecting the diversity of world civilizations and promoting the common values of humanity.