Research on the Cultural Communication Mechanism of Gansu Cross-border E-commerce from the Perspective of the Spirit of Rewi Alley

Abstract

Guided by the spirit of Rewi Alley—embodying the core principles of “hands and mind together”, “international bridge”, “rootedness in the land”, and “truthful narrative”—this paper explores the cultural communication mechanism of Gansu’s cross-border e-commerce (CBEC). The study contends that Gansu’s distinctive local products, such as “Long medicine”, “Gan flavor”, and “Dunhuang cultural creative products”, provide a solid foundation for “narrating through objects”. By establishing a communication mechanism integrating “product empowerment, platform dialogue, localized narrative, and multi-agent co-narration”, Gansu’s CBEC can transform commodities into mediums for cultural narrative. To address internal challenges in logistics, branding, talent, and external risks like cultural discount, this paper proposes optimization paths centered on promoting the “craftsman spirit”, adhering to the “bridge spirit”, and upholding the “truth-seeking spirit”. These aim to facilitate the sector’s transition from “selling products” to “engaging in cross-cultural bidirectional communication”, offering insights for enhancing regional cross-cultural communication capacity.