FRAMING VISUAL NARRATIVES OF THE GEORGE TOWN HERITAGE CELEBRATION BROCHURE: A CONTENT ANALYSIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i3.1229Keywords:
visual analysis, heritage celebrations, brochure, critical discourse analysis, social semioticAbstract
The George Town Heritage Celebration is an annual cultural event held in George Town, a historic city recognized as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site for its exceptional multicultural heritage and architectural landscape. The focus of this study is to analyze the nuanced visual elements within the brochure, aiming to uncover the intricate narrative woven through its visual content, denotative and connotative elements, and ideology relevance represented in the image of this brochure through layout and pictures. The research focuses on how visual elements including layout composition, imagery, colour schemes, and symbolic motifs operate at both denotative and connotative levels to communicate ideological meanings. Through a systematic visual analysis, the study interrogates how the brochure strategically mobilizes visual rhetoric and cultural symbolism to frame George Town’s heritage as a harmonious multicultural narrative. As a result, the most prominent explicit element is heritage landmarks. Meanwhile, implicit elements show Malay, Chinese, and Indian figures as the signature of unity, representing the George Town Heritage Celebration identity. Both denotative and connotative elements form the main synecdoche of George Town Heritage Celebration representation images. This study provides a foundation for preserving and cultivating Georgetown Heritage Day to unite the community.
References
[1] Arumugam, A., Nakkeeran, S., Subramaniam, R. (2023): Exploring the factors influencing heritage tourism development: A model development. – Sustainability 15(15): 18p.
[2] Cruz, A.G.B., Seo, Y., Scaraboto, D. (2024): Between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation: Self-authorizing the consumption of cultural difference. – Journal of Consumer Research 50(5): 962-984.
[3] Fairclough, N. (1995): Critical discourse analysis: The critical study of language. – Longman, London 278p.
[4] Ferdhaus, M., Ab Dulhamid, H., Ali, M.A.F. (2023): George Town, Penang, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site: A showcase of best practices in heritage conservation and sustainable development. – e-BANGI: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities 20(4): 220-228.
[5] Francesconi, S. (2011): Images and writing in tourist brochures. – Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change 9(4): 341-356.
[6] Hassan, H., Habil, H., Nasir, Z.M. (2008): Persuasive strategies of tourism discourse. – In: Habil, H., Hassan, H. (eds.) New perspectives in language and communication research, UTM Press, Johor 19p.
[7] Jamal, T., Hollinshead, K. (2001): Tourism and the forbidden zone: The underserved power of qualitative inquiry. – Tourism Management 22(1): 63-82.
[8] Johnes, J., Hussin, R., Tangit, M.T. (2022): Keharmonian masyarakat melalui perayaan rakyat [Harmonious society through folk festival]. – e-BANGI: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities 19(6): 75-87.
[9] Kress, G., Van Leeuwen, T. (2020): Reading images: The grammar of visual design. – Routledge, London 310p.
[10] Pampus, M. (2021): Multiple motives and a malleable middleman: The founding of George Town (Malaysia). – IOWC Working Paper Series No. 11, Indian Ocean World Centre, McGill University, Montreal 30p.
[11] Pan, Y.C. (2018): George Town heritage celebrations: Achievements and reflections. – Penang Institute Issues, Penang Institute, Penang 7p.
[12] Richards, G. (2018): Cultural tourism: A review of recent research and trends. – Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 36: 12-21.
[13] Sadatiseyedmahalleh, S., Rahman, S., Abdullah, A. (2015): Analyzing street art to present the heritage of George Town, Malaysia. – International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding 2(4): 24-30.
[14] Sualman, I., Jalli, N., Md Rashidi, R., Darwis, Y. (2021): An analysis of cultural elements in selected festive advertisements. – Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication 37(1): 334-347.
[15] Sukmayadi, V., Effendi, R. (2020): Halal destination images of Japan: A visual content analysis. – Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication 36(3): 312-324.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 DARWALIS SAZAN
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
