Guochao Empowering International Dissemination of Chinese Ethnic Minority Heritage: With a Discussion on Kam Big Song

Chinese ethnic minority cultures are integral to the Chinese cultural system and play a significant role in shaping the nation’s image through international dissemination. Amid the profound integration of internationalization and digitalization, ethnic minority cultures draw on Guochao (national tide)—a distinctive contemporary Chinese dissemination paradigm—to merge traditional ethnic heritage with modern artistic forms, thereby enabling a structural shift from passive heritage preservation to dynamic cultural reproduction. This process helps consolidate China’s national memory and enhance the international dissemination of its cultural soft power. Taking Kam Big Song (in Chinese, Dong Zu Da Ge) as a typical case, this paper examines how ethnic minority cultures can adopt Guochao as a contemporary paradigm for cultural dissemination to transcend mere protection of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The paper proposes a fourfold strategic framework—encompassing talent cultivation, symbolic translation, dissemination improvement, and technological empowerment—to facilitate the international outreach of ethnic minority cultures while preserving their cultural subjectivity and authenticity. By integrating locally rooted core values, modern cultural translation, and international recognition, ethnic minority cultures can fully showcase the cultural diversity and interconnectedness of Chinese civilization. Through this systematic approach to strengthening the Chinese national community, these efforts help enhance China’s international cultural influence.