Layered chronotopes in an urban ethnic enclave

Korean varieties, state regulation, and market futures in Xita, China

Bibliographic Data

ID19217606
AuthorsYang Li (0000-0002-2835-6661, Dalian Maritime University), Ning Sun (0009-0002-2479-0118, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, corresponding author)
Year2026
Pages1-22
Publication date2026-05-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0143-4632 • E-ISSN: 1747-7557
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01434632.2026.2679606
OpenAlexW7162456609
LanguageEN
References cited58

This study investigates the linguistic landscape (LL) of Xita, a Korean ethnic enclave in Shenyang, China, through a chronotopic lens. Drawing on a dataset of 712 LLs, the analysis reveals layered chronotopes. The chronotope of sovereignty is evident in the predominance of Standard Chinese, which accounts for 92.6% of visibility and 83.0% of salience, thereby reinforcing state authority. Within this regulated context, Korean resources are differentiated into Chaoxianyu and Hanguk-eo. Furthermore, the chronotope of nostalgia leverages Chaoxianyu and traditional calligraphy to anchor ethnic heritage and collective memory. In contrast, the chronotope of cosmopolitanism employs Hanguk-eo to construct a future-oriented vision of transnational consumption and globalised lifestyles. The three identified chronotopes overlap, to some extent, within Xita’s LLs, indicating layered configurations of time and space. In this sense, Xita’s LLs can be understood as a structured yet flexible semiotic organisation. From an interpretive perspective, these configurations may be described as forms of dynamic equilibrium and controlled diversity, as different semiotic orders coexist within a hierarchical system of visibility and salience. The findings suggest that beyond static distributions of languages, multilingual LLs in ethnic enclaves may be better conceptualised as layered configurations shaped by the interplay of state regulation and market forces

China · Ethnic community · Ethnic group · Futures contract · State (computer science) · China's Global Influence and Migration · Language and cultural evolution · Multilingual Education and Policy

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