Comparative Study of Chinese and Western Cultural Heritage Reporting: A CDS Perspective

As an important field for cross-cultural communication, the discourse construction of cultural heritage news reporting plays a not inconsiderable role in reflecting the value orientation and cultural concepts of different civilizations. The present study aims to conduct a comparative study of Chinese and Western cultural heritage reporting by exploring the similarities and differences between Chinese and Western media in terms of thematic content, discourse subjects and communication purposes, based on the framework of cultural discourse studies, while also analyzing the underlying cultural and historical factors as well as their engagement in international communication. The study adopts a quantitative and qualitative combined method, and data are collected from the heritage-related news reports in such influential media as China Daily, The New York Times, and the British Broadcasting Corporation during a time span from 2020 to 2025. Results show that while both Chinese and western media pay attention to the sustainable development of cultural heritage, Chinese media tend to combine cultural heritage with national identity, traditional festivals and tourism development, emphasizing cultural continuity and national pride, and the communication strategy is dominated by official narrative; on the other hand, western media pay more attention to the global sharing, modern application, and market value of cultural heritage, and their communication strategies highlight diversified narratives and individual experiences. Those similarities and differences in discourse construction patterns are deeply influenced by their respective cultural and historical backgrounds. The study offers some insights for the different discourse patterns between Chinese and Western media in cultural heritage reporting, providing new theoretical support and practical inspiration for the international communication of cultural heritage.