Abstract:

[Purpose/Significance] Directly channeling intangible cultural heritage services to the grassroots level is a new stage in China's progress in protecting intangible cultural heritage. This stage accurately and effectively delivers and integrates the results of intangible cultural heritage protection into the daily lives of urban and rural communities. It transforms the intangible cultural heritage resources, which were originally concentrated among minority groups and in certain areas, into accessible, perceptible, and recreatable resources for the general public. This allows intangible cultural heritage resources to truly serve and benefit the general public, and encourage innovation. The core proposition highlights the new concept of development: development by by the people, for the people, and for the people's benefit. Moreover, it is an important link in responding to the current "establishment of a mechanism for high-quality cultural resources to reach the grassroots level" in China's cultural industry. [Method/Process] Through years of practical exploration, the work of providing intangible cultural heritage services directly to the grassroots level in China has evolved from scattered projects to a systematic approach, gradually forming a practical paradigm with Chinese characteristics. This article is based on the practical application of China's intangible cultural heritage resources at the grassroots level. Through online research and on-site investigations, it provides a systematic analysis of the innovative practices and basic experiences, thus providing an empirical basis and strategic guidance for the future development of these resources. [Results/Conclusions] This study found that China's services for intangible cultural heritage services reaching the grassroots level rely on five models: public cultural venues, market-oriented products, large-scale festivals, national education system, and grassroots communities. After analyzing the experiences, a pluralistic "position-activity-product" system was proposed. This system links with inheritors and constructs a diversified governance pattern led by the government, driven by the market, and coordinated by social participation. Moreover, the intangible cultural heritage fusion system is deeply embedded in the national social foundation and is supplemented by digital technology, which empowers precise outreach and other experiential features. Looking towards the future, reaching the grassroots directly is not only an effective way to disseminate intangible cultural heritage, but also a strategic direction for protecting and developing intangible cultural heritage in the new era. The work of intangible cultural heritage should be based on three mechanisms: coordinating the cultivation of inheritors, activating the market, and providing public cultural support. The inheritor team mechanism should be used to build a solid foundation, the market-driven mechanism should be used to expand space, and the public cultural mechanism should be used to secure the bottom line. These three mechanisms support each other, working dynamically together to form a sustainable development mechanism that promotes the utilization of intangible cultural heritage resources at the grassroots level.

Key words: intangible cultural heritage, high-quality cultural resources, directly to the grassroots level, high-quality development