An affective atmosphere of captivation: Douyin, performative authenticity, and Xinjiang food in China’s Wanghong economy

This study examines how Uyghur wanghongs in Xinjiang construct authentic representations of regional food culture by situating it in an ever-shifting atmospheric assemblage, constituted by algorithms, representative and body performance, urban and rural fabrics, ethnic diversities, and policies of the broader economic, political, and cultural forces. Building on MacCannell’s staged authenticity, Anderson’s affective atmospheres, and Ash’s technologies of captivation, we build up a concept of affective atmosphere of captivation to theorizes influencer practices as atmospheric assemblages that systematically organize attention and affect through three key dimensions: sensory and bodily engagements, spatio-temporal organization of attention, and ruling with algorithms and geo-technologies. Through ethnographic fieldwork and digital ethnography of Douyin content creators, we identify two distinct modes of authenticity: exotic spectacle leveraging spatial and cultural distance, and domestic familiarity rooted in everyday maternal experiences. Both operate within state-platform entanglements that align influencer labour with rural revitalization policies while subjecting creators to algorithmic governance. Uyghur wanghongs strategically deploy ethnic markers, seasonal rhythms, and geospatial cues to sustain audience attention and optimize platform visibility, transforming cultural identity into commodifiable affective resources. The atmospheric construction transforms individual cultural expressions into calculated commercial performances optimized for digital attention extraction while remaining embedded within broader political economies of frontier development and ethnic representation in contemporary China.