The Academic Landscape and Development of City Brand Image Research in China: Visualization based on the CiteSpace Scientific Knowledge Map

Abstract

Since the 1990s, the accelerated urbanization process in China has prompted the theoretical research on Chinese city brand image. While numerous articles on city brand image research have been published in China, most of them are in Chinese and have limited global impact. This study utilizes the bibliometric software CiteSpace to conduct systematic visualization analysis and data interpretation of core journal papers in the field of urban image in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database. It aims to present the fundamental characteristics, research topics, and development trajectory of Chinese scholars in this field, as well as identify future directions.The research reveals that China's city image theory research originated in the late 19th century, with increasing research interest observed since 2009. Both authors and institutions have yet to form a closely-knit collaborative network, with the majority of research conducted independently. The research topics primarily focus on the impact of major events on city image, the construction of city image media, city image design, and city culture. In terms of research trends, city image communication is identified as the main area of future city brand image research.The value of this study lies in enhancing the understanding of Chinese city brand image research among English-speaking scholars, students, and professionals, providing inspiration and guidance for their future research endeavors.