Language Producing Factory
NüShu emerged as a secret form of resistance against patriarchal oppression, enabling women to express frustrations, emotions, and experiences within a society that valued "ignorance as a woman's virtue." Passed through generations from grandmother to daughter, the language served three primary functions: expressing marital frustrations and intimate relationships, creating lyrics for gatherings / labor works, and translating popular literature for women's consumption.
The Cultural Revolution nearly destroyed NüShu, condemning it as an "evil language and old custom" and reducing fluent speakers to fewer than a dozen women. Field research conducted in 2015-2016 revealed a troubling contemporary paradox: while the Chinese government seeks World Cultural Heritage status for NüShu, it simultaneously exploits remaining speakers as tourist attractions, forcing them to remain in impoverished conditions for menial wages while performing their cultural heritage for visitors.
This video work evolved from examining NüShu's historical significance to analyzing its commodification within China's cultural tourism industry. It highlights how intangible cultural heritage becomes manipulated for economic and soft power purposes, transforming authentic women's resistance into decorative souvenirs, while the women who preserved this language face continued marginalization and economic exploitation.