The youth of today are fond of exploring intangible cultural heritage

▲ The rising star of Yue opera, Chen Lijun, also gained fame online.
By Zongming She
Peking opera can be approached in many ways. In Jay Chou’s “The Drunken Beauty,” it involves “flourishing spears, a backflip, twisting at the waist, and steady horse stances.” Under the guidance of traditional cultural content creator Guo Cui’er, it can take on a trendy twist with some cool special effects, perfectly capturing the essence of male, female, painted face, and clown roles.
Shadow puppetry also offers various avenues. In Jay Chou’s “Shadow Play,” it showcases “slender figures, depicting profound dignity, a small screen holding up a vast sky… I chatter, sing, recite, and act out joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.” In the hands of Dang Feihua, the fifth-generation inheritor of “Wang’s Shadow Puppetry,” shadow puppetry becomes a medium where anything can be combined with “shadow puppets+” – from recreating Michael Jackson’s dance moves to carving characters from the Chinese anime “Fox Spirit Matchmaker,” or even creating dreamlike sequences for the Asian Games.
The fusion of traditional heritage with special effects, such as shadow puppets meeting Michael Jackson, breaks through the dimensional barrier, shattering people’s preconceptions: can intangible cultural heritage be this playful?
The answer is yes. This generation of young people enjoys playing in this manner.
The more they play, the more fun it becomes, attracting more participants. As an increasing number of Generation Z individuals connect with intangible cultural heritage through “play,” the prospects for the revitalization of intangible heritage become more promising.
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The trendy appeal of intangible cultural heritage represents a new phenomenon in the contemporary context.
However, just a few years ago, the “heritage” in intangible heritage was often associated with loss rather than transmission.
In the movie “Birds of Prey,” the suona craftsman Jiao San mentioned the heartbreaking phrase, “The traveling family troupe is gone, extinct.” This sentiment was tragically real. 15 years ago, an article in “Ban Yue Tan” reported many endangered intangible cultural heritage practices, including the 2003 inclusion of the Naxi Dongba Culture in Yunnan on the UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” list.
Local officials lamented at the time: “The rapid extinction of intangible cultural heritage is mainly due to the aging population of our heritage bearers, who have entered the silver-haired stage of life.” “When people pass away, they take their unique skills and treasures with them.”


▲ In recent years, the Naxi Dongba Culture was on the brink of extinction. The pattern in the image is Dongba pictographic script.
Intangible heritage’s decline into obscurity is closely tied to its entrapment in tradition.
For years, intangible heritage has displayed two main characteristics: on one hand, it embodies the “roots” and “soul” of Chinese traditional culture, with its preservation and transmission crucial to cultural continuity and the extension of civilization; on the other hand, many intangible heritage practices are disconnected from current social and cultural consumption demands, as well as the contemporary cultural context – it doesn’t understand young people, and young people don’t understand it.
Today’s intangible heritage is a reflection of the past, but the past’s intangible heritage must also find its place in modern life. The key to keeping intangible heritage alive lies in maintaining its vitality by basing it on human wisdom and skills, with everyday life as the main stage.
Revitalizing intangible heritage can be broken down into multiple issues, but when it comes to metaphorical cultural scenes, the essence of intangible heritage can be encapsulated as “play.”
“Play” is a way of expressing fun: Guo Cui’er’s “intangible heritage knowledge + live performance + cool special effects” is a form of play, as is Wang’s Shadow Puppetry’s tribute to Michael Jackson and the performance of Optimus Prime. Lang Jiaziyu, a post-95s graduate from Peking University, uses clay sculpting to recreate characters from Hayao Miyazaki’s animations, and Binguandun is also a form of play. Yunnan’s Bai minority youth Xiao Apeng’s portrayal of the Bai tribal whip during his thesis defense is another form of play.
Play is also a way of socializing and spreading information: many young people contribute to creative teams through Chinese-style dance, showcasing ancient effects, or playing card transformation, thus engaging in a new approach to preserving and transmitting intangible heritage.
Through interactive play and collision, intangible heritage breaks free from grand narratives and serious expressions, entering the world of young people in an enjoyable manner.
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“Play” is the new expression of the new generation in a new context.
In today’s world, where mass media and reception methods are constantly evolving, and where young people reject formality and preaching, intangible heritage content dissemination naturally needs to adapt to the times and circumstances.
On short video live streaming platforms, many individuals have introduced new elements to the preservation and transmission of intangible heritage.
Some play with dazzling special effects.
Individuals like Zhu Tiexiong, known as the “queen of transformation,” and Guo Cui’er, who is loved for her “traditional culture performances,” have mesmerized a large following with their combination of “national essence interpretation + special effects transformation,” garnering a wave of fans.
Some set up stalls and unbox items.
Blogger Tie Dou has intrigued many netizens by explaining intangible heritage through online unboxing and gift exchanges.
Some visit recreations.
Post-95s influencer Jiang Xunqian (September) has traveled to learn how to make blush, phoenix and dragon flower candles, paper kites, and sugar paintings. Due to her exquisite craftsmanship, she is hailed by netizens as the “blogger who doesn’t rush updates.” Earlier this year, she collaborated with an ice sculptor to create the largest single ice dragon in China, receiving over 10 million likes on Douyin and over 200 million views.


▲ Jiang Xunqian (September) collaborated with an ice sculptor to create the largest single ice dragon in China.
Similarly, treasure trove blogger Nanxiang Buaichifan visited a group of artisans in their 80s to learn about the process of making box lamps, eventually recreating a box lamp that had disappeared for around thirty years, earning the admiration of many netizens.
Some capture moments in the classroom.
Chen Li, a Ganju teacher, gained online fame when her students recorded her performances, attracting even more opera enthusiasts.
From multi-sensory immersive experiences involving auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli to emotionally charged elements, these innovative forms of communication have transformed intangible heritage narratives from flat images to dynamic stories. This has made intangible heritage more tangible, interactive, cute, trendy, and fun.
Through these vivid and dynamic presentations, people can witness the beauty and essence of intangible heritage in the meticulous details and innovative creations, allowing intangible heritage forms to connect more closely with modern aesthetics and values.
The multifaceted connection between intangible heritage and the public undoubtedly enhances the vitality of intangible heritage.
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Typically, the vitality of intangible heritage is demonstrated in two main aspects: whether it can attract more attention, acceptance, and affection from young people, and whether lesser-known or endangered intangible heritage practices can be brought to light.
Due to the infusion of youthful expressions into intangible heritage content, post-95s and post-00s individuals are now becoming the driving force behind the dissemination of intangible heritage.
The “2024 Douyin Intangible Heritage Data Report” reveals that there are 1,428 intangible heritage inheritors on Douyin, with 199 of them being under 30 years old, representing a 72% increase compared to the previous year. Dang Feihua, who uses shadow puppets to represent Michael Jackson and Optimus Prime, and Lang Jiaziyu, the third-generation heir of Beijing clay figurines who recreates characters from Hayao Miyazaki’s animations and Bing Dung, are innovative and forward-thinking new generation intangible heritage inheritors.


▲ Wang’s Shadow Puppetry pays tribute to Michael Jackson using shadow puppetry.
Interestingly, over the past year, the number of shared videos related to national-level intangible heritage on Douyin has increased by 36%, with the most significant audience being the post-60s generation and post-00s generation.
With algorithms facilitating precise connections between intangible heritage content and interested individuals, and with the integration of “old” styles with “new” forms and expressions refreshing “old” skills, lesser-known and endangered intangible heritage practices are gaining more visibility in short videos and live streams.
Crafts such as Qingcheng bamboo weaving, Northeast drumming, Longgu Po lifting songs, Tajik ethnic clothing, and Yushan Qin School have all received newfound attention on Douyin, despite being previously unknown to many. These national-level endangered intangible heritage practices are experiencing a “rebirth” on the platform.
All signs indicate that intangible heritage preservation and transmission are entering the “people’s era.”
In the “people’s era,” Clay Shirky once asserted that in the future, people will connect, share, and collaborate based on shared interests.
In the context of the preservation and transmission of intangible heritage, this scenario is already unfolding: young people participate in collective creation through “play,” driving intangible heritage towards the masses and accelerating the rejuvenation of intangible heritage.
With low participation barriers, everyone can become a disseminator of intangible heritage. Data shows that over the past year, 13.79 million netizens have shared their intangible heritage experiences on Douyin.
For many netizens, these new modes of sharing intangible heritage will propel them along a gradual gradient of “cognition-identification-acceptance.”
Their way of expressing approval may involve tipping.
These tips can support the concept of “sustaining intangible heritage through intangible heritage”: by using “tickets” for new performances, intangible heritage inheritors can monetize their skills, helping to establish a positive cycle of intangible heritage content production, monetization, and re-creation.
In 2023, there were an average of 53,000 live intangible heritage broadcasts on Douyin each day, with a 25.63% increase in the number of intangible heritage anchors receiving tipping income.
Their way of expressing approval may also involve checking in.
With the assistance of algorithms promoting bidirectional engagement and a positive feedback loop of “planting seeds – removing weeds – planting seeds again,” many netizens are inspired to convert their excitement for revitalized intangible heritage into personal experiences.
Moreover, the rich ecosystem on Douyin, consisting of creators, e-commerce, and lifestyle services, can transform the online “intangible heritage content heat” into offline “urban cultural tourism heat.”
The data speaks for itself: with a 216% increase in the collection of dragon boat racing videos, Foshan, Guangdong saw a 131% increase in alcohol and tourism orders; and with a 2848% increase in the number of likes for videos featuring hairpins, Quanzhou, Fujian experienced a 110% increase in alcohol and tourism orders…
It is undeniable that many netizens engage in activities such as making their own painted fans or wearing hairpins out of a desire to play.
But do not underestimate this form of “play” – play is also a means of preserving and transmitting intangible heritage.
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“To anticipate five hundred years of innovation, and still feel outdated after a thousand,” intangible heritage must continuously rejuvenate to remain dynamic.
Often, the new vitality of intangible heritage emerges from “playing.”
When intangible heritage is infused with a touch of Chinese culture, it can evolve from mere play to becoming a part of a cultural movement.
Therefore, intangible heritage is never outdated; it rejuvenates when it encounters a cultural renaissance.
On short video live streaming platforms, many content creators have used Jay Chou’s “Blue and White Porcelain” as background music to create videos, experiencing traditional Chinese effects, and immersing themselves in the world of indigo costumes. This playful approach breathes new life into the preservation and transmission of intangible heritage.
The creative transformation and innovative development of intangible heritage require maximum participation through a light-hearted “shared understanding” approach, which minimizes barriers to entry in the preservation and transmission of intangible heritage. By utilizing innovative play methods, intangible heritage preservation and transmission can achieve sustainability.
After all, intangible heritage belongs to “ancestors, us, and future generations,” representing the past, present, and future.
China is the world’s leading nation in intangible heritage, with nearly 870,000 intangible heritage resources. To ensure the continuation of these intangible heritage practices, they must first be brought to life.
Embracing the past without being confined by it, preserving traditions without being stuck in old ways – this form of “play” is the rightful way to revitalize intangible heritage.
When intangible heritage becomes enjoyable, more young people will be inclined to preserve, disseminate, promote, and engage with a broader range of lesser-known and endangered intangible heritage practices, bringing them out of obscurity.
Today, this scene has become a reality: intangible heritage is renewing itself and is more accessible.
In “Birds of Prey,” Jiao San once lamented dejectedly: “Who still takes our suona craftsmen seriously these days?”
If we were to transport this sentiment to the present day, we can predict that a group of die-hard suona fans would stand up and answer: “We do.”