INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HERITAGE, ART AND MULTIMEDIA (IJHAM)

THE HUI MUSLIM AND ISLAMIC JOURNALISM DURING THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Mai Jianjun — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This study investigates the emergence and development of Islamic journalism among the Hui Muslim community during the Republican era in China (1912–1949). It addresses the research problem of how Hui Muslims used media as a religious strategy in response to modernity, nationalism, and identity challenges. The objective is to reconceptualize Hui journalism not as secular ethnic expression but as a purposeful Islamic project rooted in daʿwah and revivalism. Using a qualitative methodology based on historical and textual analysis of key publications—especially Yue Hua (The Moon Light)—the article identifies four interrelated dimensions of consciousness: religious, political, technological, and transnational ummatic. The findings reveal how Hui reformers strategically employed print media to assert Islamic identity, engage with nationalism, and connect with global Muslim movements. This study contributes to Islamic and media studies by restoring Hui Muslims’ religious agency and re-situating their journalistic activities within the broader context of 20th-century Islamic revivalism and minority religious media.

ECO-FRIENDLY REPLACEMENT FOR PAPER CONSERVATION: ADHESIVES COMPRISING POTATO STARCH AND SOY FLOUR

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Adhesives for the preservation of paper-based heritage materials should be stable, reversible, safe for the artefact as well as effective. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of natural glues derived from soy, potato, and corn flour in terms of their applicability to heritage conservation. Using A4 paper sheets of two different weights (70gsm and 100gsm), the adhesives were assessed for physicochemical and curing properties such as colour, texture, and pH; alongside curing time, bonding strength, and their long-term effects on the physical and visual integrity of the paper. Among the formulations, the potato flour-based adhesive (pH 7.40) exhibited optimal performance, showing excellent appearance, zero residue, strong and uniform adhesion, and high visual stability. In contrast, the cornflour (pH 6.32) and soy flour (pH 8.03) adhesives presented shortcomings, including non-uniform adhesion, powdery residues, and potential for discoloration. In line with the current conservation practices that prioritize sustainability and low intervention, the findings suggest that potato starch is most promising natural glue for supporting the stability of the material and ensuring long-term heritage sustainability.

URBAN ICONS: SYMBOLIC FUNCTION AND VISUAL STRATEGY IN CITY BRANDING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CHARLES MORRIS’S SEMIOTICS

Zhuang Yuan, Saiful Bahari Mohd Yusoff — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

With the rapid advancement of urbanization and increasing intercity competition, urban brand image design has become a crucial strategy for enhancing a city's competitiveness and cultural influence. This study grounded in Charles Morris's semiotic model, employs the analytical framework of syntactics, semantics, and pragmatics to explore the symbolic functions and visual communication strategies in urban brand image design. Through a comparative analysis of representative domestic and international city cases,combined with literature review and case study methods, The study finds that, at the syntactic level, the recognizability of city visual identities can be enhanced through the systematic integration of visual elements; at the semantic level, the intrinsic meanings of cultural symbols should be deeply explored to convey the unique value of a city; and at the pragmatic level, multi-media communication strategies are essential to strengthening brand influence. Based on these insights, this research proposes strategies such as symbolic form optimization, cultural connotation articulation, and context-adaptive dissemination, offering both theoretical and practical guidance for city brand identity design.