Negotiating History and Culture in Linguistics: Analysis of George Town Heritage Celebration Brochures

Abstract

The George Town Heritage Celebrations feature a series of events and activities in the historic Malaysian city, celebrated for its rich cultural heritage, diverse traditions, historic sites, artistic expressions, and culinary offerings. This study examines the visual and linguistic components of the celebration brochures to uncover how heritage narratives are constructed through images, layouts, and textual elements, reflecting both denotative and connotative meanings, as well as ideological perspectives, based on the framework of van Leeuwen and Jewitt (2004) and Critical Discourse Analysis by Fairclough (1995). The findings reveal that heritage landmarks are the most prominent explicit visual elements, while implicit representations of multiracial groups include figures from Malay, Chinese, and Indian backgrounds, symbolizing unity and the collective identity of the George Town Heritage Celebration. The interplay of denotative and connotative elements serves as a central synecdoche of the city’s cultural representation, and this study offers insights into the preservation and promotion of George Town Heritage Celebrations.