Representation of ethnic minorities: visual rhetoric on the covers of Nationality Pictorial (1955–2024)

This article examines the visual representation of ethnic minorities on the covers of Nationality Pictorial (1955–2024), a state-level pictorial in China devoted to minority affairs. Drawing on a longitudinal dataset of 735 covers and a multimodal discourse analysis framework, the study analyzes how visual rhetoric mediates the relationship between ethnic identity, political ideology and market imperatives across three historical periods. The findings reveal a clear shift in representational strategies: from collectivist imagery emphasising socialist unity during the early years of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), to highly politicised symbolism during the Cultural Revolution, and finally to individualised, aestheticised, and commodified portrayals in the reform and opening-up period. Across these phases, cover images employ recurring rhetorical devices to align ethnic representation with shifting state–market agendas. The study argues that Nationality Pictorial covers were not neutral reflections of minority life, but rather state-mediated constructions that stabilised ideological narratives and shaped collective memory. By demonstrating how visual codes adapt to political and economic change, the research advances debates on visual rhetoric, media ideology and the politics of multicultural representation.