Preserving China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage through AR/VR storytelling, social media, and AI narratives
Source abstract
Abstract
Abstract Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) has always been a major component of cultural identity and its safeguarding through digital technologies has also been developing. The current research merges the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) witeth Media Richness Theory (MRT) to emphasize the increasing public acceptance of digital ICH experiences using Alternate Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) storytelling, social media participation, and AI-produced narratives. A mixed-methods research design was applied in which the quantitative part consisted of surveying 350 digital ICH-aware participants and the qualitative part included conducting semi-structured interviews with 15 respondents. Thematic analysis was implemented on their responses to provide depth of experience. The findings indicate that the key facilitators and barriers demonstrated immersive and perceived usefulness of the technology and users’ attitudes influenced mainly by authenticity. Therefore, the research provides both theoretical and policy-based solutions on how ICH can be best promoted, or even preserved, through the different digital technologies used.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · 3D Surveying and Cultural Heritage · Museums and Cultural Heritage
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (39)
Show source-provided references
1. UNESCO, (2003) https://ich.unesco.org/en/what-is-intangible-heritage-00003.
2. Giglitto, D., Ciolfi, L. & Bosswick, W. Building a bridge: opportunities and challenges for intangible cultural heritage at the intersection of institutions, civic society, and migrant communities. Int. J. Herit. Stud. 28, 74–91 (2022).10.1080/13527258.2021.1922934 ↗
3. Cai, Z., Cai, K., Huang, T., Zhang, G. & Chen, R. Spatial distribution characteristics and sustainable inheritance strategies of national traditional fine arts intangible cultural heritage in China. Sustainability 16, 4488 (2024).10.3390/su16114488 ↗
4. UNESCO, (2022) https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/intangible-cultural-heritage-unesco-inscribes-47-elements.
5. UNESCO, (2024) https://ich.unesco.org/en/state/china-CN?info=elements-on-the-lists.
6. Xu, Y., Tao, Y. & Smith, B. China’s emerging legislative and policy framework for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Int. J. Cultural Policy 28, 566–580 (2022).10.1080/10286632.2021.1993838 ↗
7. Stefano, M. L. (2021). Practical considerations for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Routledge.10.4324/9781003034216 ↗
8. Wang, K., Kim, K. & Tang, J. Analyzing the Design of Virtual Humans in Chinese Museums. A Case Study of “Ai Wenwen”. Asia-Pac. J. Converg. Res.Exch. 10, 561–572 (2024).
9. Duester, E. (2024). Digital Museums in the Global South: A Framework for Sustainable and Culturally Appropriate Digital Transformation. Taylor & Francis.
10. Rhee, B., Pianzola, F., Oh, N., Choi, G. & Kim, J. Remediating tradition with technology: a case study of from tangible to intangible: a media showcase of kisa chin p’yorichinch’anuigwe. Digit. Creat. 32, 56–70 (2021).10.1080/14626268.2021.1876093 ↗
11. Hutson, J. (2024). Digital Cultural Heritage Preservation. In Art and Culture in the Multiverse of Metaverses: Immersion, Presence, and Interactivity in the Digital Age (pp. 99-141). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.10.1007/978-3-031-66320-8_4 ↗
12. Feng, C. https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3251137/how-tencent-using-ai-and-vr-tech-revive-traditional-art-chinese-opera-hua-mulan-just-beginning (2024).
13. Blake, J. (2023, December). Sustainable Development and Human Rights in Safeguarding ICH. In Intangible Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development: Inside a UNESCO Convention; Taylor & Francis: Abingdon, UK.10.4324/9781003244158-3 ↗
14. Zhang, X., Zhi, Y., Xu, J. & Han, L. Digital protection and utilization of architectural heritage using knowledge visualization. Buildings 12, 1604 (2022).10.3390/buildings12101604 ↗
15. Buragohain, D., Meng, Y., Deng, C., Li, Q. & Chaudhary, S. Digitalizing cultural heritage through metaverse applications: challenges, opportunities, and strategies. Herit. Sci. 12, 295 (2024).10.1186/s40494-024-01403-1 ↗
16. Shen, Y. (2024, June). Cross-Media Digital Form Design and Comparative Measurement of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Zhuhai: Promoting Cultural Exchange and Global Communication. In International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 90-104). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.10.1007/978-3-031-60904-6_7 ↗
17. He, Z. & Wen, C. Construction of digital creation development model of intangible cultural heritage crafts in China. Hum. Soc. Sci. Commun. 11, 1–14 (2024).
18. Mehta, S., & Kukreja, V. (2024, September). Preserving the Unseen: Innovative Approaches to Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Expressions Through Immersive Technologies. In 2024 2nd International Conference on Sustaining Heritage: Embracing Technological Advancements (ICSH) (pp. 16-21). IEEE.10.1109/ICSH62408.2024.10779946 ↗
19. Tang, T. & Zhang, H. An interactive holographic multimedia technology and its application in the preservation and dissemination of intangible cultural heritage. Int. J. Digit. Multimed. Broadcast. 2023, 6527345 (2023).
20. Wen, X., Sotiriadis, M. & Shen, S. Determining the key drivers for the acceptance and usage of AR and VR in cultural heritage monuments. Sustainability 15, 4146 (2023).10.3390/su15054146 ↗
21. Yan, D. Capturing A Classical Connection Between Mixed Reality and Intangible Cultural Heritage from A Narrative Theory Perspective. PrzestrzeńSpołeczna 24, 192–228 (2024).
22. Yulin, Z. (2025). The Reshaping and Dissemination Mechanism of Traditional Culture by Digital Technology: A Case Study of Chinese Cultural Variety Shows. In SHS Web of Conferences (Vol. 210, p. 02002). EDP Sciences.10.1051/shsconf/202521002002 ↗
23. Zhang, A. et al. Driving Innovation and Sustainable Development in Cultural Heritage Education Through Digital Transformation: The Role of Interactive Technologies. Sustainability 17, 314 (2025).10.3390/su17010314 ↗
24. Shen, Y., Wu, Z., Fang, X., & Yue, W. (2024, June). Enhancing Digital Interaction with Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Study on User Experience and Acceptance of the Zhuhai Intangible Cultural Heritage Database. In International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 325-334). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.10.1007/978-3-031-61950-2_36 ↗
25. Buragohain, D., Khichar, S., Deng, C., Meng, Y. & Chaudhary, S. Analyzing metaverse-based digital therapies, their effectiveness, and potential risks in mental healthcare. Sci. Rep. 15, 17066 (2025).10.1038/s41598-025-00916-4 ↗
26. Buragohain, D., Buragohain, D., Meng, Y., Deng, C. & Chaudhary, S. A metaverse based digital preservation of temple architecture and heritage. Sci. Rep. 15, 15484 (2025).10.1038/s41598-025-00039-w ↗
27. Buragohain, D., Meng, Y. & Chaudhary, S. Metaverse Impact and Trends in Sustainable Integration of Immersive Technologies in Education. Comput. Appl. Eng. Educ. 33, e70024 (2025).10.1002/cae.70024 ↗
28. Li, J., Wider, W., Ochiai, Y. & Fauzi, M. A. A bibliometric analysis of immersive technology in museum exhibitions: exploring user experience. Front. Virtual Real. 4, 1240562 (2023).10.3389/frvir.2023.1240562 ↗
29. Davis, F. D. Technology acceptance model: TAM. Al-Suqri. MN, Al-Aufi, : Inf. Seeking Behav. Technol. Adopt. 205, 5 (1989).
30. Daft, R. L. & Lengel, R. H. Organizational information requirements, media richness and structural design. Manag. Sci. 9, 554–571 (1986).10.1287/mnsc.32.5.554 ↗
31. Grigorovici, D. M. & Constantin, C. D. Experiencing interactive advertising beyond rich media: Impacts of ad type and presence on brand effectiveness in 3D gaming immersive virtual environments. J. Interact. Advert. 5, 22–36 (2004).10.1080/15252019.2004.10722091 ↗
32. Sugandini, D. et al. The role of uncertainty, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness towards the technology adoption. Int. J. Civ. Eng. Technol. (IJCIET 9, 660–669 (2018).
33. Lee, H., Jung, T. H., tom Dieck, M. C. & Chung, N. Experiencing immersive virtual reality in museums. Inf. Manag. 57, 103229 (2020).10.1016/j.im.2019.103229 ↗
34. Bekele, M. K., Pierdicca, R., Frontoni, E., Malinverni, E. S. & Gain, J. A survey of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality for cultural heritage. J. Comput. Cult. Herit. 11, 1–36 (2018).10.1145/3145534 ↗
35. Shahbaznezhad, H., Dolan, R., & Rashidirad, M. The role of social media content format and platform in users’ engagement behavior. J. Interact. Mark. 53, 47–65 (2021).10.1016/j.intmar.2020.05.001 ↗
36. Fan, X., Jiang, X. & Deng, N. Immersive technology: A meta-analysis of augmented/virtual reality applications and their impact on tourism experience. Tour. Manag. 91, 104534 (2022).10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104534 ↗
37. Champion, E. (2017). The role of 3D models in virtual heritage infrastructures. In Cultural heritage infrastructures in digital humanities (pp. 15-35). Routledge.10.4324/9781315575278-2 ↗
38. Chhabra, D. Authenticity and the authentication of heritage: Dialogical perceptiveness. J. Herit. Tour. 14, 389–395 (2019).10.1080/1743873X.2019.1644340 ↗
39. Qiu, Q. & Zhang, M. Using content analysis to probe the cognitive image of intangible cultural heritage tourism: an exploration of Chinese social media. ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 10, 240 (2021).10.3390/ijgi10040240 ↗