Online platforms promote inheritance of intangible cultural heritage

More and more people in China are learning about and developing a passion for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) through the internet. They watch livestreams of ICH inheritors, buy ICH-related cultural and creative products on e-commerce platforms, and take virtual tours of digital ICH museums.

An embroiderer advertises her products during a livestream in a scenic zone in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Zhou Xuanni)

On June 10, China's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, an ICH-themed event kicked off in Nanyang city, central China's Henan Province. During the event, 83 representative ICH items were promoted and relevant cultural and creative products saw brisk online and offline sales.

On the same day, an ICH-themed shopping festival was held in the city, during which short video bloggers introduced ICH items, attracting viewers to give their approval and place orders online.

The emergence of short video and livestream platforms has given an increasing number of ICH inheritors a chance to demonstrate traditional crafts and the charm of cultural heritage to more people, as well as channels to sell ICH products. For example, He Qing, an ICH inheritor, has garnered 2.3 million followers on short video platforms and sold over 200,000 handiworks in less than two years.

A recent report issued by the e-commerce division of Chinese short video platform Douyin said the number of transactions of ICH products promoted by ICH inheritors soared 194 percent year on year in 2022, and the number of inheritors who helped sell ICH products with a respective transaction volume exceeding one million yuan increased by 57 percent since 2021.

Xue Ke, deputy dean of the USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry, which was established by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and the University of Southern California (USC), suggested promoting the protection and utilization of ICH through digitalization.

A platform aimed at spreading Guangdong Han Opera, or Hakka Opera, which was listed as a national ICH item in 2008, was recently launched. Empowered by technologies including 5G, big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, the platform will promote original content of the opera in various forms.

The platform is an attempt to promote the creative evolution and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, and will enable more people to feel the charm of Guangdong Han Opera, according to a manager with the Guangdong Han Opera Inheritance Research Institute.

China has listed 1,557 national ICH items. The internet has brought more and more ICH items, especially many lesser-known items, closer to the people.

In February this year, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a circular on promoting the integration of ICH in tourism. According to the circular, the integration of ICH in tourism can further enrich the cultural connotation of scenic areas, resorts, key rural tourism villages and towns, and other tourist attractions.

The combination of ICH with performances, food, and distinctive villages and towns is on the upswing, and the close integration of ICH with tourism will provide an important channel for the popularity of ICH.

Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University, believes that China needs to make the best use of internet talent including outstanding live streamers in the culture and tourism sectors to disseminate ICH. Zhang encouraged cultural and tourism departments across the country to cooperate with leading live streamers to promote local ICH items.

For instance, the cultural and tourism bureau of Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, launched a program to recruit ICH inheritors, internet influencers, and video content makers, in an attempt to promote the city's ICH items.