Unpacking the Language Dynamics in the Top-Down Linguistic Landscape

Taking the instances of official signs in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Ningbo as objects, this chapter analyzes the governments’ language management and policy on public signs, the language practices in the linguistic landscape, and local residents’ attitudes towards the language choice and uses on official signage. The findings can unveil how linguistic landscape is appropriated by the governments to achieve the economic and sociopolitical agendas in these cities.