CONTEMPORARY RECONSTRUCTION OF THE YELLOW RIVER MYTH: THE POWER OF RELIGIOUS NARRATIVE IN SHAPING CULTURAL IDENTITY

Abstract

This article investigates the transformation of the Yellow River myth from its religious and cosmological origins into a contemporary symbol of Chinese nationalism and cultural identity. Once revered as a sacred locus of divine power, the Yellow River has, over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries, undergone significant reinterpretations and reconstructions. Employing an interdisciplinary approach drawing on mythology, anthropology, political history and cultural studies, the article traces the river’s shift from a religious signifier to a cultural icon embedded in China’s collective consciousness. Particular attention is given to literary works, state-sponsored narratives, media portrayals and diaspora discourses, which illustrate how the myth has been continually appropriated to serve evolving social, cultural and political purposes. By highlighting this dynamic process, the authors focus on the enduring power of religious narrative to bridge ancient traditions with modern identity formation and to shape the cultural imagination of a nation