From criticism to imitation: Rethinking Tuwei culture in the Chinese cultural order

The cultural order dominated by China's mainstream society has long criticized the popular Tuwei culture on the Internet and its rural background. However, in recent years, mainstream media and official discourse have participated in Tuwei hashtag discussions and even borrowed its cultural form. This paper uses the popular "Cao County" hashtag video produced in May 2021 as a case to evaluate the narrative characteristics of Tuwei culture. Through critical discourse analysis and research on the discussions and comments of netizens and the media on this hashtag, this paper assesses the formation and dissemination of different ideological perspectives on this culture and uncovers the reasons behind Tuwei culture's growing acceptance by mainstream Chinese popular culture.