Conventional approaches to Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) preservation, such as static documentation and superficial commercialization, frequently undermine its vitality by reifying it as a fixed artifact detached from its evolving socio-cultural context. This study challenges this object-centric paradigm by proposing an ecosystem-centric framework that reconceptualizes ICH as a dynamic, self-organizing cultural ecosystem. Our framework integrates Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory to provide a macro-level ecological perspective, with Emotional Design theory offering a micro-level mechanism for fostering public engagement. We theoretically instantiate this framework through the Yangliuqing Narrative Ecosystem, a design case applied to Tianjin Yangliuqing New Year Paintings. This system combines tangible, modular cultural gene carriers with a digital co-creation platform that guides users through visceral, behavioral, and reflective levels of engagement, aiming to transform them from passive consumers into active co-creators. This process is designed to cultivate a community of practice that drives the heritage’s adaptive evolution. The study contributes a novel theoretical framework and a transferable design methodology, presenting a robust model for reactivating the intrinsic vitality of cultural traditions in the digital age.
Shen et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: