Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Folk art is a vibrant carrier of China's fine traditional culture. In the past, limited dissemination channels led to a discontinuation of many categories. Some traditional handicrafts are on the verge of extinction due to a lack of continuity, and local operas average fewer than 50 performances per year. Short video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou, with their low barriers to entry, strong user interaction, and wide reach, have opened up new avenues for the transmission of folk art and injected fresh momentum. Drawing on practical examples such as Douyin's "Intangible Cultural Heritage Partners" and Kuaishou's "Laotie Liyuan," and drawing on authoritative data such as the "2025 Douyin Intangible Cultural Heritage Data Report," this article analyzes the practical impact of short videos on the transmission of folk art from five perspectives: dissemination model, inheritor population, content format, commercial transformation, and the inheritance ecosystem. The study finds that the algorithmic recommendation mechanism of short videos can break down regional barriers, enabling local arts such as Northwest Qinqiang and Southern Fujian Baizi Opera to reach nationwide audiences. It also attracts a large number of young people to participate, with the number of post-2000s intangible cultural heritage video creators increasing significantly year-on-year. However, platform-based dissemination has also exposed problems: some content excessively pursues entertainment, simplifies artistic processes, and neglects cultural connotations, diluting the core value of folk art. To address this, the study proposes the need to build a heritage system that combines "technological empowerment, content development, and ecological protection": leveraging platform technology to optimize dissemination efficiency, in-depth content to explore the core artistic essence, and integrating policies and market forces to improve support mechanisms, thereby promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of folk art in the digital age.
Author: Weiyu Du
Institution: University of Nottingham
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7106001418