Original
Governing through Visibility: Local Government Experimentation with Internet Celebrity Cities in China
Abstract
Abstract The rise of internet celebrity cities has become one of the most striking phenomena in China since 2021. How do local governments respond and harness this trend to advance their development goals? This study focuses on local experimentation in creating such cities, drawing on the case of the Village Football Super League ( Cun chao 村超) in Guizhou. We identify policy entrepreneurship as a key driver of local experimentation and highlight three core strategies for creating internet celebrity cities: crafting local symbols, co-producing viral content and mitigating public opinion risk. Further analysis shows that this experimentation, by attracting massive public attention, simultaneously promotes economic growth, strengthens social cohesion, reinforces state narratives and projects China’s national image onto the global stage. Overall, the findings suggest an emerging model in which public attention becomes a core resource for local development and governance in China’s digital era.
中文
通过可见性治理：中国地方政府对网红城市的实验
摘要
摘要 自2021年以来，网红城市的兴起已成为中国最引人注目的现象之一。地方政府如何回应并利用这一趋势来推进其发展目标？本研究聚焦于创建此类城市中的地方实验，以贵州的“村超”（Village Football Super League，Cun chao 村超）为案例。我们识别出政策企业家精神是地方实验的关键驱动力，并强调创建网红城市的三大核心策略：打造地方符号、共同生产病毒式传播内容以及化解舆情风险。进一步分析表明，这种实验通过吸引大量公众关注，同时促进了经济增长、增强了社会凝聚力、强化了国家叙事，并在全球舞台上投射了中国的国家形象。总体而言，研究结果揭示了一种新兴模式，即公众关注度成为中国数字时代地方发展与治理的核心资源。
关键词
网红城市、地方政府实验、政策企业家精神、可见性治理、村超、数字治理、公众关注、中国