China's Museopolitics: Evolving Exhibits on the War of Resistance against Japan

The War of Resistance against Japan is an essential component of the Chinese Communist Party's legitimizing narrative, and nowhere is this more apparent than in Chinese museums. Rather than act as institutes of permanence, these museums and their exhibits are in constant flux, evolving over time to reflect sociopolitical vicissitudes from Beijing through the process of "museopolitics." This study examines several such museums in which the War of Resistance narrative has notably shifted over time through three distinct iterations: the victor narrative, the victim narrative, and the rejuvenation narrative.