In recent years, Xitou Village in Longquan City, Zhejiang Province, has promoted rural cultural tourism by tapping into its celadon heritage. Photo: IC PHOTO

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China’s “Strategic Plan for Rural Revitalization” (2018-2022) called for improving the system for preserving intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and implementing projects for ICH transmission and development. The “Plan for All-Around Rural Revitalization” (2024–2027) continues this emphasis, proposing to enhance the influence of rural culture through measures such as strengthening the preservation and utilization of cultural relics and ICH, and implementing programs to revitalize traditional crafts. The protection and transmission of ICH in China must be grounded in “living heritage,” enabling innovation by serving contemporary needs and improving people’s lives—thus contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of rural revitalization.

Rural ICH protection and transmission facing multiple challenges

China has established a four-tiered system for identifying representative ICH items—at the national, provincial, municipal, and county levels. To date, more than 100,000 items have been officially recognized, along with over 90,000 designated inheritors (individuals officially recognized for their role in preserving and passing down ICH traditions). Rural ICH, which embodies the historical memory and collective wisdom of agrarian civilization, accounts for over 70% of these items. ICH projects such as Yangliuqing woodblock printing in Tianjin and Longquan celadon in Zhejiang have used the workshop model to achieve both craft skills transmission and economic returns, while also integrating ICH elements into rural tourism and the development of cultural and creative products. In some areas, ICH has been used to build distinctive towns and organize folk festivals, invigorating the rural economy while enhancing cultural identity.

Nevertheless, multiple challenges remain. The aging of ICH inheritors has become more pronounced, with 70% of national-level inheritors now over the age of 70. Meanwhile, the continued outflow of rural youth has left a shortage of successors. Under the pressures of modern life, the traditional apprenticeship system is in decline due to lengthy training periods and low apprentice wages, putting certain skills at risk of extinction. Some ICH projects excessively pursue short-term profits, resulting in a glut of homogenized products; others oversimplify craft processes to cater to market demand, undermining the authentic cultural value of rural ICH. Furthermore, regional economic disparities and limited awareness among local officials and the public have weakened preservation efforts. These factors collectively hinder the effective transmission and development of rural ICH.

Revitalizing rural areas through ICH development and utilization

As “living fossils” of rural culture, rural ICH embodies generations of local labor experience, folk beliefs, and aesthetic sensibilities. When harnessed creatively, it can inject fresh vitality into rural economic, social, and ecological development. For example, in Longtan Village, Pingnan County, Fujian Province, the endangered technique of brewing red yeast rice wine is being transformed into a cultural tourism experience. Under the guidance of local artisans, visitors participate in pressing and fermenting the rice, witnessing the entire transformation from “grain to drop.”

In Jiajiang County, Sichuan Province, the traditional craft of handmade paper has been integrated into the educational tourism industry through initiatives such as “bamboo papermaking experience camps” and collaborations with university design departments to develop “traditional papermaking DIY kits.” These programs attract over 30,000 educational visits annually and have increased the average income of nearby villagers by 20,000 yuan annually. By the end of 2024, China had established more than 9,100 ICH workshops across over 1,700 counties, directly employing more than 270,000 formerly impoverished individuals.

In essence, the creative transformation of ICH represents a modern reinterpretation of China’s millennia-old agrarian civilization. Within the broader context of rural revitalization, it is important to move beyond the singular focus on preserving traditional crafts and instead establish a multidimensional practice system. Digital technology can be leveraged to decode the tacit knowledge embedded in ICH and transform traditional experience into codifiable and transmissible modern knowledge. The translation of ICH elements—such as rituals, narratives, and patterns—should transcend mere replication and integrate into contemporary contexts. For example, the polyphonic structure of the Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group can serve as inspiration for modern musical composition, while the use of plant-based dyes in traditional tie-dyeing can inform sustainable design concepts.

By building an interactive system that links traditional crafts with modern values, ICH is gradually becoming an essential part of the cultural infrastructure supporting rural revitalization. It also helps transform traditional ethics into norms of community cooperation, infusing rural areas with spiritual cohesion and intrinsic motivation for development, ultimately fostering both shared material prosperity and cultural confidence.

Ye Lijun is an associate professor from the School of Arts at Zhejiang International Studies University.

Edited by WANG YOURAN