Is Xia Yuhe Really Jinan’s Most Famous Historical Figure? A Quantitative Cultural Brand Analysis

Background and Trigger Event

In April 2026, the opening match of the Qilu Football Super League saw Jinan defeat Jining 6‑0. The unexpected element was a cheerleading squad of over thirty members dressed in Qing‑dynasty costumes, performing an ancient‑style dance as the fictional character "Xia Yuhe" from the 1998 TV drama My Fair Princess . The performance quickly became a viral cultural topic.

Core Question

The controversy raised a deeper question: How should a city evaluate and select its historical‑cultural representatives? The article treats this as an analytical problem that can be quantified.

Quantitative Evaluation Framework

The proposed model assesses a figure across five dimensions, each with a specific weight:

Historical Authenticity (H) – 0.25: Is the figure a real historical person?

Local Relevance (L) – 0.20: Strength of the figure’s connection to the city (birthplace or main activity).

Historical Influence (I) – 0.25: Academic recognition, citation volume, textbook inclusion.

Cultural Positivity (V) – 0.15: Alignment of the figure’s values with the city’s spirit.

Scenario Fit (S) – 0.15: Compatibility of the figure’s image with specific event contexts (e.g., sports venues).

A penalty function reduces the composite score dramatically when the authenticity score falls below 5, reflecting the trust loss of using a fictional persona.

Scoring of Candidate Figures

Using the above weights, the article scores several historical and fictional candidates. Representative scores (out of 10) are:

Xin Qiji – H:10, L:10, I:9.5, V:10, S:10 → Composite 9.85

Li Qingzhao – H:10, L:10, I:9, V:9.5, S:7 → Composite 9.25

Qin Qiong – H:10, L:10, I:10, V:8, S:9 → Composite 9.25

Zhang Yanghao – Composite 8.80

Da Shun – Composite 8.45

Iron Xuan – Composite 8.00

Fictional Xia Yuhe – H:0, L:3, I:1, V:2, S:1 → Composite 0.30 (penalised to 0.63)

Ranking Results

The final ranking for the "Jinan Historical Figures for Sports Events" list is:

Xin Qiji – "Poet‑Warrior, Anti‑Jin General, Jinan native" (Score 9.875)

Qin Qiong – "Gate‑Guardian, Jinan native" (Score 9.25)

Li Qingzhao – "Greatest ancient poetess, Jinan native" (Score 9.25)

Zhang Yanghao – "Yuan‑dynasty lyricist" (Score 8.80)

Da Shun – "Mythical sage‑king" (Score 8.45)

Iron Xuan – "Defender of Jinan" (Score 8.00)

…

Bottom – Xia Yuhe – "Fictional Qiong Yao character" (Score 0.39)

Interpretation and Implications

The analysis concludes that the most famous historical figure of Jinan is not the fictional Xia Yuhe but the real poet‑general Xin Qiji. If a female figure tied to Daming Lake is required, Li Qingzhao, historically associated with the lake’s "Lotus Goddess" shrine, is a more authentic choice.

Beyond the ranking, the article argues that cultural branding based on genuine historical personalities offers sustainable credibility, whereas leveraging a short‑lived fictional IP carries long‑term risk. Real figures provide a factual foundation for deep research, tourism promotion, and lasting city identity, while fictional symbols may cause cognitive dissonance, negative word‑of‑mouth, and a widening "destination image gap" when their novelty fades.

Comparative examples from other cities (e.g., Suqian’s Xiang Yu, Zhangzhou’s water‑lily mascot) illustrate that successful cultural branding either rests on verifiable history or on enduring natural/ecological symbols.

Conclusion

Jinan’s rich historical heritage—spanning poets, generals, scholars, and ancient sages—provides a robust cultural brand matrix. Selecting real historical icons over a fictional TV character ensures stronger cultural resonance, higher tourist satisfaction, and long‑term brand stability.