Linguistic landscape and place-making on a resort island in China

ABSTRACT This paper presents research on the dynamic relationship between linguistic landscape and place-making. Through the lens of tourism, it scrutinises the language on public transport signs, billboards, street names, shop names and commercial posters, as well as public signs of government agencies, on Wailingding Island off China’s southern coast. Its purpose is to explore the question of to what extent and with what characteristics place meaning ‘translates’ into the linguistic landscape. A predominantly qualitative approach is employed. The research finds that the text content of the linguistic landscape is fundamental to making a meaningful place. Its cultural connotation is related to the social environment, manifesting deeper the meaning of a place beyond the displayed content. Nonetheless, the symbolical meaning of the linguistic landscape is fluid, with the subjective consciousness of the creative subject and the cognition, perception and understanding of the linguistic landscape by different agents of interest.