Explaining the communication success of Li Ziqi’s video from the perspective of coding and decoding

   17 November 2024  Leave a Comment on Explaining the communication success of Li Ziqi’s video from the perspective of coding and decoding  Posted in 3. ‘Manufacturing Consent’ Or ‘Ideas of encoding and decoding’

(Hall 1980: 130)

The “encoding-decoding” model is an important theoretical framework in cultural studies for understanding how information in the mass media is produced, disseminated, received and interpreted. This model tells us that messages are not simply delivered from the media to the audience, but are processed, transformed and interpreted through a context.

Blogger Li Ziqi has a huge global buzz. Her exquisite short films showcasing traditional Chinese culture, village life and handicraft production have attracted a large international audience. Why Li Ziqi’s video explode, if we look at Stuart Hall’s coding and decoding model, we can better understand the deeper reasons behind the explosion.

Encoding: Video production by Li Ziqi

Li Ziqi’s works not only contain a lot of traditional Chinese cultural elements such as handicrafts, cooking and farming, but also show the beauty of traditional Chinese countryside life. Her “coding” of these elements is not mere documentation, but rather the presentation of an idealized idyllic life through careful camera work, melodious music, natural sounds and a simple narrative. It inspires emotional resonance in the viewer and gives a feeling of healing. This idealised idyllic life can be seen as a cultural code that demonstrates traditional Chinese aesthetics and values. Li Ziqi also packages and delivers certain symbols of Chinese culture (e.g. ingredients, traditional crafts, rural landscape, etc.) with the intention of showcasing the charm of traditional Chinese culture.

Decoding: Audience Response and Multiple Interpretation

Viewers’ decoding of Li Ziqi ‘s video means how they understand and receive the content of Li Ziqi ‘s video. This decoding is not fixed, and the audience’s reaction to it depends on their cultural background, values, personal feelings and other factors.

For many international viewers, Li Ziqi’s videos fulfil their curiosity and romantic fantasies about life in the Chinese countryside. They take an idealised view of the Chinese culture presented by Li Ziqi, accepting and appreciating the Chinese idyllic life and traditional aesthetics she presents. They may take a keen interest in Chinese culture in these videos and see them as a window into traditional Chinese life and culture.
As for the Chinese audience, the content created by Li Ziqi evokes a sense of cultural identity and pride in traditional Chinese craftsmanship and rural life. In this context, the audience’s decoding process places more emphasis on cultural identity and emotional belonging.
For many people who live in the fast-paced era and feel anxious, the slow-paced, back-to-basics lifestyle shown in Li Ziqi’s video has become a way for them to escape from the fast-paced life and relieve pressure, and this quiet picture gives people a kind of emotional solace and relaxation.
The coding and decoding model. At the coding level, Li Ziqi spreads China’s traditional culture globally through his elaborate videos. And at the decoding level, viewers interpreted and commented on the content differently according to their own cultural backgrounds, emotional needs, and other factors, contributing to the widespread dissemination and success of Li Ziqi’s videos. Through the analysis of the coding and decoding model, we can see that the success of Li Ziqi is not accidental, but the result of the interweaving of multiple factors. I would like to conclude by saying that most of the “decodes” are very heart-warming and give me a good feeling of world unity. This is what cultural exchange should be all about🥰

reference: Hall, Stuart. “Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse.” Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, University of Birmingham, 1973.

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