The Red Culture and Political Economy of Museums in Shanghai*

The governance of cultural development and cultural industries in China has become an area of increasing academic interest in recent years. Here, we seek to understand the dynamics and uniqueness of the impacts of Red Culture and cultural governance in the city of Shanghai. The authors have selected the dimension of the political economy of museums to demonstrate how local authorities tread a difficult path, balancing multiple policy goals, including market incentives and ideological indoctrination, in the context of culture development. The case study of Shanghai demonstrates how museums reflect the renewal of party-state identity and market utilities. This article also examines what history means to this city today, and how historical elements are utilized in the course of urban transformation.