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Article

Does Government Positively Support the Spatial Distribution of ICH? Evidence of Data from the Yangtze Delta Region of China

by
Jie Chang
1,
Cheng Long
1,
Song Lu
1,* and
Rui Han
2
1
College of Environmental and Geographic Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
2
College of Geographic Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 697; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010697
Submission received: 23 November 2022 / Revised: 17 December 2022 / Accepted: 29 December 2022 / Published: 30 December 2022
(This article belongs to the Section Tourism, Culture, and Heritage)
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Abstract

:
Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is humanity’s mutual treasure; the history and civilization of humans are preserved in ICH. In particular, the protection of national ICH has become a principal focus of the Chinese government’s current active promotion of digital protection and innovative ICH development. Since ancient times, the Yangtze Delta region in China has been known as the “country of honey and milk”, and it remains home to many priceless historical and cultural artifacts. This paper combines the Geodetector tool and GIS spatial analysis in order to study as an example the spatial distribution pattern of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region. The study demonstrates that the quantity and type of structures of national ICH in various provinces and cities differ from one another in terms of spatial distribution characteristics. In general, the spatial agglomeration of ICH is significant, and the spatial divergence between regions is obvious, showing a pattern of spatial distribution characterized by agglomeration in the southeast of the Yangtze Delta region and dispersion in the northwest, presenting different degrees and scales of distribution into groups and bands across each province and city. The indicators of different dimensions were discretized in ArcGIS, then entered into the Geodetector software. The results show that government support is the leading force in promoting the development of ICH, with scores of 0.630 and 0.597 for the secondary indexes. Social humanity serves as an important condition for the development of ICH, and the scores for the relevant secondary indexes were 0.461 and 0.146. Economic development provides the material basis for the further development of ICH, and the scores for these secondary indexes were 0.175 and 0.266. The natural environment determines the basic pattern of the spatial distribution of ICH, and the scores of the relevant secondary indexes in this case were 0.196 and 0.081. The results prove our hypothesis that government support is a core element. Interactions among the factors enhanced their influence on the spatial distribution of ICH. In addition, based on the exploration of the spatial structure of ICH, this research also provides several suggestions for the inheritance and development of ICH in the Yangtze Delta region and puts forward proposals for a future research agenda.

1. Introduction

The term “intangible cultural heritage”, originally called “le patrimoine culturel immatériel”, is an English translation of a French concept and in academic circles is generally referred to as ICH. It is the most important carrier of cultural diversity. Despite having been recognized for a long time and important for preserving priceless historical and cultural treasures, ICH is extremely fragile because of a lack of targeted protection. Chinese government bodies at all levels have recently placed high priority on protecting intangible cultural assets. First, by compiling a list of exemplary ICH projects, items that require safeguarding have been confirmed, and resources have been efficiently concentrated. Second, governments at all levels have enacted legislation that provides financial support and rewards participation in ICH initiatives. They have also raised public awareness of intangible culture protection by hosting events including festivals and contests, and constructing cultural venues.
Intangible cultural heritage is an important part of Chinese traditional culture. Since China joined the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2004, the country has adopted various modes for protecting ICH including legislative protection, salvage protection, holistic protection, and productive protection, which together constitute a unique practice of ICH protection. The Chinese Ministry of Culture has published five sets of national ICH lists, including a total of 1557 items and 3610 extensions, and has gradually constructed a multi-layer protection system from the national to the local level. The varied historical, cultural, and educational values of ICH have led to widespread agreement among the business community and academic circles that ICH has good potential for tourism development. Of course, as a unique form of cultural and artistic expression, efforts to ensure the protection of ICH and preservation of its inheritance face a series of problems including cultural distortion, cultural differences, and insufficient special protection measures.
Chinese traditional culture is concentrated mostly in the Yangtze Delta region, where it can be found in the Shanghai-style, Jinling, Wu-Yue, Huaiyang, and Huizhou cultures, etc. Comprehensive research into intangible cultural resources is important from a representative perspective.
Tourism resources serve as the physical foundation for spatial rivalry in regions popular with tourists, and the spatial organization of ICH resources has an impact on regional competition and cooperative relationships. Because of its unique resource requirements and reliance on the government, ICH tourism engages a wide range of stakeholders, including government, tourists, and locals, as it transitions from the original cultural context into the commercial realm. In addition, natural resources and economic society are important subsystems that influence the development of tourism, including ICH tourism. Different natural settings influence local development patterns and give rise to diverse cultural expressions, and levels of economic development influence local support for and attention to ICH. Social humanities, the natural environment, and economic development have been proven to be significant elements affecting the distribution of ICH. In this context, we aim to answer the question:
  • Does Government Positively Support the Spatial Distribution of the ICH?
Therefore, four dimensions, i.e., government support, social humanities, economic development, and natural environment, were selected in this study for analysis of their roles as influencing factors. Based on the establishment of a geographic information database of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region, this paper combines the GIS method, qualitative analysis, and use of the Geodetector software package to conduct an empirical study on the spatial distribution and influencing factors of ICH from a geographical perspective. Through a comprehensive research method, it provides suggestions for improving the inheritance and development of ICH.
Particular aspects of this work highlight the article’s contribution to the research topic. In terms of the choice of indicators and the validation of hypotheses, this essay advances the idea of government support and on the basis of earlier investigations demonstrates the significant impact of government on the geographic distribution of intangible cultural resources. Furthermore, this paper effectively combines the Geodetector tool and the GIS spatial analysis method to reveal the spatial distribution characteristics of ICH and factors that influence ICH in the Yangtze Delta region. It also offers a more sophisticated method of geographic analysis and an improved theoretical approach.
The subsequent structure of this paper is as follows: Chapter Two describes the overview of the Yangtze Delta region, research data sources, evaluation indicators and research methods, Chapter Three describes the types of national ICH located within the study region, Chapter Four presents the results of the spatial analysis of the study area, and Chapter Five presents analysis of the factors influencing the spatial pattern. Finally, in the conclusion and discussion, the contributions and shortcomings of the study are described, and two research perspectives are proposed for subsequent studies.

2. Literature Review

Cultural heritage is divided into two categories: tangible and intangible. When compared with tangible cultural property, intangible cultural heritage often better captures the core of a region’s culture and the distinctions between different cultural areas [1]. The traditional cultures of all peoples around the globe are rich with intangible cultural legacy, which describes cultural resources created and practiced by people over an extended period of time [2]. In 2003, UNESCO adopted The Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage and the concept of intangible cultural heritage officially entered the public consciousness, and since then the protection of intangible cultural heritage has been explored in the context of intellectual property rights [3], digital technology [4], and heritage education [5]. In the 21st century, the protection of intangible cultural heritage has been elevated to a national level. In 2021, the document The 14th Five-Year Plan for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage was issued by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with the protection of intangible cultural heritage as its main axis, designed to integrate intangible cultural heritage into major national development strategies based on its inheritance and protection, further developing the role of ICH in sustainable social development [6]. However, ICH continues to face a series of problems encountered in the process of protection and inheritance, such as insufficient content excavation and uneven regional development [7]. Therefore, a systematic study of the spatial distribution characteristics of ICH and its influencing factors has certain practical significance for the realization of its sustainable development.
Early studies on ICH mainly focused on discussion of the concept. Blake traced the development of international heritage law, identified the concepts of cultural heritage and cultural property, and discussed the definition of cultural heritage in terms of cultural awareness and cultural power [8]. Kurin discussed in detail the definition, history, and nature of intangible heritage [9]. Vecco discussed the scope of tangible heritage and the concept of intangible heritage, on the basis of which he analyzed the evolution of the scope and concept of heritage from “tangible” to “intangible” [10]. With the value of ICH attracting the attention of all sectors of society, studies on the preservation of ICH [11,12], sustainable development [13,14], etc., have gradually increased, with Liu emphasizing the crucial part played by ICH in supporting the physical and mental health of populations as well as its distinctive aesthetic and artistic values. A nation’s ability to transmit its cultural history contributes to the development of a strong sense of cultural identity. Tang developed a grey clustering evaluation model based on the centroid mixed likelihood function for the purpose of evaluating the potential for tourism development provided by the ICH of tea in light of emphasis given to the significance of ICH as a tourism resource [15]. In addition, studies on the impact of tourism on ICH [16,17], the transformation of ICH tourism [18], perceptions of ICH values [19], perceived values of residents and tourists in the context of ICH tourism [20], and purchase intention for ICH products [21] were also included. Currently, trends of research into ICH have shifted focus from ICH itself to the relationship of people to ICH, with increased focus on tourists, and studies have considered aspects such as tourists’ loyalty [22], their visual experience [23], and tourists’ perceived attitudes. A discussion of cultural identification and feelings of local identity in relation to ICH in the context of human–land interaction was also presented [24].
Research on ICH has mainly focused on the disciplines of anthropology, folklore, tourism, and education, using qualitative analytical methods to conduct empirical studies of ICH [7,25,26]. However, this is insufficient to ensure the overall protection and development of ICH. Geographical spatial analysis methods offer a fresh perspective on the thorough examination of ICH at various levels, and researchers have examined the spatial organization and influencing factors of ICH at the national [27,28], watershed [29], and provincial [30,31] levels from a broader perspective, while the study of ICH in city clusters remains lacking. Scholars have used spatial analysis methods such as average nearest neighbor index, kernel density estimation, spatial Gini coefficient, and buffer analysis to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of ICH. Most of the influencing elements have been analyzed by combining spatial analysis methods with qualitative analysis, whereas the current work reports research based on GIS geographical analysis methods, along with the use of Geodetector and qualitative analysis. Based on the aforementioned factors, this paper takes the Yangtze Delta region as an example to study the spatial distribution of national ICH and analyze the correlation factors influencing its distribution, adding two key variables of government support, to confirm the hypothesis raised. The goal of the study is to encourage the protection and inheritance of ICH and to provide a reference for the significance of ICH in the Yangtze Delta region, in order to fully utilize the benefits of cultural resources.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Study Area

The Yangtze Delta region spans 41 municipal units with a total size of 358,000 square kilometers, including Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Anhui Province. The Yangtze Delta region has a rich traditional culture with different regional customs, including Shanghai-style, Jinling, Wu-Yue, Huaiyang, and Huizhou cultures. It is also one of the most active and open regions in China. The Yangtze Delta region was the location of a total of 593 national ICHs (including extended items) in 2021 (Figure 1), representing nearly one-fifth of the total number of national ICHs in all of China, according to the five successive batches of national ICH lists announced by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. To explore the spatial distribution patterns of ICH and the factors affecting these, it is therefore appropriate to take the Yangtze Delta region as an example.

3.2. Data Source and Processing

The data for national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region were obtained from the official website of China’s ICH (http://www.Ihchina.cn, accessed on 15 July 2022), and included the names, categories, locations, and years of publication. Based on the Google Earth coordinate system, we further determined the latitude and longitude information of ICH, connected the locations of ICH with the relevant attribute data, and established a geographic information database for national ICH in Yangtze Delta region.

3.2.1. Indicator Selection and Data Sources

Concerning the selection of the dependent variable, the scientificity of using kernel density estimation to reveal spatial distribution patterns has been fully verified in studies on the spatial structure of urban industries [32], tourist attractions [33], traditional villages [34], etc. Therefore, the kernel density value of 593 national ICHs in the Yangtze Delta region from 2006 to 2021 was selected as the detection factor Y. The selection of independent variables referred to previous studies in which the spatial distribution of ICH was examined in terms of social, economic, cultural, and natural aspects, etc. The examination of factors influencing the spatial distribution of ICH mainly included social [35], economic [36], cultural [37], and natural [38] aspects. Therefore, based on comprehensive consideration, this paper categorizes the various influencing factors into three dimensions: social humanities, economic development, or natural environment. To this it adds the consideration of government support, each dimension summarized by two sub-influencing factors. The selection of indicators and data sources are shown in Table 1. The government’s incentive policy documents relating to ICH and documents encouraging the use of ICH objects are referred to in official documents. The term “cultural construction” refers to the development of museums and other cultural institutions by all levels of government. The promotion of ICH takes place in these cultural sites.
We considered the variables of governmental support. Different ratings of ICH are assigned by government at all levels in China. This paper analyzes existing national-level projects announced by the highest relevant state departments, thereby considering a series of measures such as incentive policies issued by the government and the construction of cultural venues so that ICH projects are taken seriously. The higher the attention of local government, the more completely can ICH be declared national intangible cultural heritage compared to the local level.

3.2.2. Data Processing

The index data for the impact factors were discretized in ArcGIS, the data were reclassified and then uniformly classified using the natural break method (as in Table 2), and finally the classified values were extracted by sampling points and exported as panel data for calculation in Geodetector.

4. Methods

4.1. Spatial Autocorrelation

Global spatial autocorrelation, which indicates the degree of similarity of points with spatial proximity or neighboring relationships, can determine the spatial agglomeration characteristics of the target region. The Moran’s I value revealed the spatial distribution of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region; the larger the Moran’s I value, the higher is the degree of spatial autocorrelation. The value of the Moran’s I distribution range is [–1, 1]. To test the significance of the spatial distribution correlation, Z-testing was used, and Z values greater than the Moran’s I distribution interval showed significant clustering for regional dispersion or vice versa.
The limitation of global spatial autocorrelation is that it cannot present the nature of local spatial aggregation, so in order to analyze clusters and outliers, local spatial autocorrelation measures are necessary to reveal the type and degree of spatial correlation of neighboring regions within a local area [39].

4.2. Kernel Density Estimation

Kernel density analysis is an effective technique to measure the density variation of elements within the region and to explore spatial hotspots. The analysis can calculate the density of point elements around each output raster in order to present the core areas of spatial concentration of ICH, i.e., the hotspots of spatial distribution [40]. The calculation formula is:
f ( x ) = 1 n h ∑ i = 1 n k ( x − x i h )
where   k x   −   x i h is the kernel function,   h is the bandwidth,   x − x i is the distance from x to the measurement marker x i .

4.3. Geodetector

Geodetector is a tool for detecting and exploiting spatial differentiation. In this study, the kernel density value of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region from 2006 to 2021 was selected as the detection element Y, measured with q value [41]. The calculation formula is:
q = 1 − ∑ h = 1 L N h σ h 2 N σ 2
where   q is the detection value of the impact of the influencing factor on the ICH, N h is the number of units contained in the detection element, N is the number of units in the study area, σ h 2 and σ 2 are the variances of the Y values (kernel density values of ICH) of the detected element layer and the whole area units, respectively. The range of q values is [0, 1]. The smaller the q value, the less the spatial distribution of ICH is influenced by the influencing factors. The larger the   q value, the more the spatial distribution of ICH is affected by the influencing factors. When the q value is equal to 1, the factor directly determines the spatial distribution of ICH.

5. Types of National ICH in the Yangtze Delta Region

There are 593 items of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region, divided into 10 categories in total. Among them, 41 are traditional dances, 54 traditional music, 45 folk arts, 62 folklore, 42 folk literature, 80 traditional arts, 32 traditional medicine, 79 traditional drama, 136 traditional skills, and 22 traditional sports, entertainment, or acrobatics (Figure 2).
In terms of the distribution of ICH types (as in Table 3), Zhejiang Province has the largest number of ICH with 257 items, accounting for 43.34% of the total ICH in the Yangtze Delta region. Traditional arts and folklore are relatively abundant in Zhejiang Province, with over 30 items in each of the relevant categories. Folk art, folk literature, and traditional drama are represented by around 25 items each. The rest of the categories all include more than 10 items, with representative items such as the legend of West Lake, Jiangnan silk and bamboo, silk manufacturing techniques, etc. There are 161 items of ICH in Jiangsu Province, accounting for 27.15% of the regional total. Numbers of traditional skills, traditional arts, traditional drama, and traditional music all exceed 20. Traditional dance, folk art, folklore, and folk literature are represented by around 10 items each. The quantities of traditional medicine and of traditional sports, entertainment, or acrobatics are comparatively lower, with representative items including Kun opera, Suzhou embroidery, and ceramic firing technology. Anhui Province has a total of 99 items of ICH, among which the numbers of traditional drama and traditional skills are the largest, each with 50 items, while numbers of items such as folk art, folklore, folk literature, and traditional medicine are minor, and to an extent continue to grow. Among these, representative items include Huangmei opera, Anhui cuisine, green-tea-making skills, etc. In Shanghai, there are 76 items, and the numbers for traditional skills, traditional medicine, and traditional arts are each 10 items or above. The other categories individually include fewer than 10 items, with representative items such as Shanghai opera, traditional Chinese medicine therapy, and Shanghai fancy lanterns.

5.1. Spatial Distribution Characteristics of ICH

5.1.1. Spatial Agglomeration and Regional Divergence Are Both Significant

The distribution characteristics of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region were investigated in terms of their global spatial autocorrelation. According to the measured results, the Moran’s I value = 0.24 > 0, indicating a positive spatial autocorrelation, confirming that national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region exhibits spatial agglomeration. The standardized statistic Z-value test showed that Z = 2.68 > 2.58, and the mathematical characteristics passed the test (confidence interval of 99%). Therefore, there is a significant spatial agglomeration of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region.
The local aggregation characteristics of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region were further investigated, and the clustering patterns were calculated through local spatial autocorrelation analysis of local clusters and outliers. Figure 3 reveals the obvious spatial divergence characteristics of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region, showing the high–high clustering areas mainly distributed in Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Taizhou and other cities in Zhejiang Province, from which it can be concluded that ICH is generally distributed in larger quantities and more uniformly in Zhejiang Province, southern Jiangsu Province, and Shanghai. The low–high clustering areas are distributed in Quzhou City in Zhejiang Province. The low–low clustering areas are mainly concentrated in Anhui Province, including Suizhou, Bozhou, and Bengbu in the north, and Huainan, Hefei, Anqing in the south-central part, as well as Xuzhou and Suqian in the northern part of Jiangsu, indicating that ICH is generally distributed in smaller quantities in Anhui Province and the northern part of Jiangsu Province.

5.1.2. Spatial Distribution Clustered in the Southeast and Dispersed in the Northwest

From the kernel density map of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region, it can be observed (Figure 4) that national ICH in the region generally follows a multi-core distribution pattern of “one main and two secondaries”, i.e., the main core area in the central city of Shanghai, and the secondary core areas in Suzhou and Hangzhou. Most cities in southern Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province show clusters of differing degrees and scales, while Huangshan City in Anhui Province shows a small area of agglomeration, but the agglomeration phenomenon is not obvious in Anhui Province overall.
From the kernel density map of different types of ICH, it can be concluded that traditional dance is distributed across a wide area, mainly in the major cities in the region south of the Yangtze River, including Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuxi, Changzhou in southern Jiangsu, and Wenzhou in southern Zhejiang, forming a smaller agglomeration circle in the northern part of Anhui Province. Traditional music is mainly distributed in the central part of Jiangsu Province and Shanghai. Folk art is mainly distributed in the northern part of Zhejiang Province and the border area of Hangzhou, Jiaxing, and Shaoxing. Folklore is mainly prevalent in Hangzhou and Huzhou in southeastern Zhejiang Province and Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, forming a large agglomeration area in the southeastern part of the Yangtze Delta region. Folk literature forms a double-ring structure in the Yangtze Delta region with the northern part of Zhejiang Province as its main core and the southern part of Jiangsu Province as the secondary core. Traditional arts are mainly concentrated in the core areas of Suzhou, Shanghai, and Wenzhou. Traditional medicine has its main core area in Shanghai, but its distribution pattern in other areas is not obvious. Traditional drama is widely distributed, with the core areas of concentration mainly in the northern part of Anhui Province, Nanjing, and Shanghai. Traditional skills are mainly concentrated in the eastern part of the Yangtze Delta region, where the circlular distribution phenomenon observed in other areas is not significantly apparent. Traditional sports, entertainment and acrobatics are mainly present in a belt-like concentration area with the eastern part of the Yangtze Delta region as its main core, and the northern part of Anhui Province and the central part of Jiangsu Province secondary.

5.2. Analysis of Influencing Factors

We then superimposed the spatial locations of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region with different elements (Figure 5). First, by overlaying the government support element, it was found that the development of ICH is inseparable from the support of local governments, and the presence of cultural venues positively correlates with the number of official documents issued on ICH, with the more official documents being issued, the greater the presence of ICH in a city. Secondly, by superimposing the social humanities element, it was revealed that ICH is mainly distributed in cities with large populations of permanent residents, with more than 60% of ICH in cities with a permanent population of more than 5 million. In the Yangtze Delta region, traditional villages are mainly located in the south, and represent an important carrier for the inheritance and development of ICH.
By superimposing the economic development factor, it was found that ICH is mainly concentrated in Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and other cities with comparatively well-developed economic conditions. Finally, by superimposing the natural environment elements, it was revealed that ICH in the south of the Yangtze Delta region accounts for more than 70% of the total. By calculation, it was established that the average altitude of ICH in the Yangtze Delta region is 102 m, the average nearest distance to a major river is 7.2 km, and ICH is mainly concentrated near rivers and in plain areas at lower altitudes.
The results provided by the Geodetector can be further summarized into differences in the influence of different dimensions and different impact factor indicators on the spatial distribution of ICH (Table 4), and different types and degrees of interactions among factors (Figure 6).

5.3. Analysis of Influencing Factors of Different Dimensions

5.3.1. Government Support

The inheritance and evolution of ICH are significantly influenced by governmental support. The main force in the protection of ICH is the government, and through policy incentives and guidance it can have an impact on society as a whole. The more that local government is aware of and concerned with ICH, the better are the prospects for a region’s cultural resources to be explored and safeguarded.
According to the index detection results, the strongest explanatory factor is the official document (x1), with a q-value of 0.630, indicating that the government’s concern and support for ICH may be reflected to some extent in the quantity of official ICH papers released. In order for ICH to keep pace with the advances of the times, the government can direct the growth of ICH by developing policies and enhancing protection systems by coordinating the efforts of all parties. The explanatory factor of culture construction (x2) was found to be the second most influential factor, with a q -value of 0.597; the construction of cultural venues and other infrastructures helps to better disseminate the contemporary value of ICH and promote the protection and development of ICH.

5.3.2. Social Humanities

People are the primary focus of cultural development [42], and every place has its own social and human history. The spatial distribution of ICH is more strongly influenced by regions with strong historical and cultural legacies, which are also highly rich in ICH.
From the index detection results, it was found that the explanatory power of the permanent population (x3) was in third place, with a q -value of 0.461. The development of ICH cannot be separated from the influence of human activities, and the protection and inheritance of ICH requires the participation of a large number of residents rooted in the local area, while the number of residents largely determines the possibility of inheritance of ICH. The q -value of cultural resources (x4) was 0.146, indicating a relatively low influence. Traditional villages have very long histories and have inherited and preserved a large number of historical relics and cultural resources, which are important carriers for the preservation of ICH, and the current exploration and protection of historical and cultural resources including traditional villages still needs to be further strengthened.

5.3.3. Economic Development

Economic development provides the material basis for the development of ICH [43] and cities with favorable economic conditions provide stronger protection for ICH and promotion of its development, while cities with poor economic development offer less support and attention to ICH, causing disparities in the spatial distribution.
The q -value of the transportation conditions (x5) was 0.175. The improvement of transportation conditions has strengthened interaction between people to a certain extent, but it remains far from sufficient to achieve the materialization of ICH. The q -value of GDP per capita (x6) was calculated to be 0.266. Standards of living in terms of material goods have increased, and so have the needs of people in terms of cultural consumption. In order to satisfy the expanding cultural consumption needs of the populace on the one hand and maintain the unique traditional cultural contribution of ICH on the other, it is crucial to balance the commodity and cultural components of ICH in its development and maintenance.

5.3.4. Natural Environment

The natural environment establishes the fundamental pattern of ICH’s spatial distribution [44], and ICH is primarily found in low-lying regions and close to water sources. As a result, the natural environment has little impact on ICH’s geographical distribution in the study area.
The influence of altitude (x7) and of river systems (x8) is relatively weak, with   q -values of 0.196 and 0.081. The influence of altitude and water systems on ICH is often reflected in its types, for example, high altitude areas tend to form mountain culture where the ICH of traditional arts and traditional medicine is more concentrated. The population in plains areas is relatively concentrated, and ICH such as traditional arts and folklore is widely distributed. Rivers also play an important role in the distribution of ICH, and the quantity of ICH in the south of the Yangtze River area is significantly higher than in the northern part.

5.3.5. Interaction Analysis of Influence Factors

The results of the interaction analysis of influencing factors are shown in Figure 6, revealing nonlinear enhancement (NE) and bi-factor enhancement (BE): the interaction type of Official Document (x1) with River (x8) was NE, and the type with other factors was BE. The interaction of Culture Construction (x2) with Cultural Resource (x4), Altitude (x7), and River (x8) was NE type, and with other factors BE. Permanent Population (x3) interacted with Cultural Resource (x4) in an NE manner, and with other factors in BE. Cultural Resource (x4) interacted with Official Document (x1) in a BE manner, and with other factors in NE. The interaction of Transportation Conditions (x5) with Cultural Resource (x4), Altitude (x7), and River (x8) was NE type, and with other factors BE. The interaction of GDP Per Capita (x6) with Cultural Resource (x4), Altitude (x7), and River (x8) was NE type, and with other factors was BE. The interaction of Altitude (x7) with Official Document (x1) and Permanent Population (x3) was BE type, and with other factors NE. The interaction of River (x8) with Permanent Population (x3) was BE type, and with other factors NE.
The interaction between Cultural Construction (x2) and River (x8) showed the strongest pattern at 0.912, and proximity to rivers and well-developed cultural construction is more conducive to the development and inheritance of ICH. Although the influence of natural environment on the single factor of ICH in the Yangtze Delta region was found to be relatively weak, this typically also plays a significant role in the development of ICH.

6. Discussion and Conclusions

6.1. Discussion

This research offers various perspectives on the spatial distribution of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region and factors affecting it. In light of previous research, we draw the following conclusions: Firstly, ICH as a whole exhibits substantial spatial clustering traits and a distinct spatial distribution pattern, with the same type of intangible property being clearly dispersed in a particular region or area in a band-like or circle-like pattern. Secondly, different provinces and cities exhibit varying degrees of spatial differentiation, and there are significant differences between regions. For example, the high–high agglomerations in the study area are mainly concentrated in several neighboring cities in Zhejiang Province, and the low–low agglomerations are mainly concentrated in the northern part of Anhui Province and northern Jiangsu Province border area. The interactions of factors had significantly greater effects than the of single factors.
Previous studies have concluded that factors such as economic development and financial support from cities play a more critical role in influencing the spatial distribution of ICH. The current paper raises a hypothesis and adds consideration of government support factors measured by two indicators, namely, official documents on ICH and the number of public cultural venues, and concludes that the influence of these two indicators of government support is significantly greater than that of the other factors. The single-factor influence and the interaction with other factors are each significantly higher than other indicators.
This paper’s value stems not only from the significance of the chosen field of study and the representativeness of the instances, but also from the creative research methods and concepts applied. We included the element of government support, which had been overlooked in earlier studies, and used a combination of geographical analysis and Geodetector to demonstrate its significance for ICH. To address more effectively the associated research problems, we intend to introduce and improve this variable in further related studies in future.
The indicators selected in this paper mainly focus on four aspects: society, economy, nature, and the hypothetical dimension of government. The influence of government has been amply demonstrated in previous research in other fields, such as the expansion of rural tourism [45], the sustainable development of tourism [46], collaborative innovation of businesses [47], growth of small and medium-sized enterprises [48], the development of agriculture [49], and cultural arts festivals [50], providing a clear illustration of the government’s contribution to social and agricultural development. Although the effect of government was mentioned in previous published research on ICH and other heritage issues, it has not been further verified [51]. Meanwhile, according to item-by-item comparison of research on the structure of ICH at various scales, social [52,53], economic [54,55], and natural factors [56,57] all have significant impact on ICH. Research on ICH in Peru [58], Bangladesh [53], Amazon [59], the Yellow River Basin [35], and Fujian Province in China [30] has confirmed these factors, but little attention has been paid to governmental factors. Therefore, we proposed the hypothesis of the government support dimension in the research analysis of the current work, and verified the hypothesis by combining Geodetector with GIS spatial analysis. We hope that future studies on this topic will consider the role of government.
There were some limitations in this paper. Primarily, our work on point-by-point comparison was insufficient. Different places each have their own distinctive traditions, histories, and cultures. These are significant variables that have an impact on types and quantities of ICH. Future study may take this element into consideration, since it has not been adequately addressed in this paper. The primary influences on the spatial distribution of intangible cultural heritage of different types in various locations were not expressly examined in this study. Therefore, this area of research needs to be further deepened and refined in future. Furthermore, this research lacked item-by-item comparison. Other considerations include the differences in the spatial structure of ICH at different levels, from national to provincial, municipal, and even county level, and differences in the degree of influence of various factors. In addition, this paper focused on the ICH that has entered the national list. Although the case selection is representative of the region overall, there remains a need to concentrate on those ICHs that have existed for many years, but have not been discovered or been paid attention so far. These ICHs have potential value but are often the most difficult to find, so it is necessary to conduct detailed investigation and field investigations in the research area.
Finally, this paper holds that the role of globalization should be taken into account in future research. It is necessary to compare research on ICH in different countries from an international perspective, and to conduct empirical research from a more micro perspective in relation to the top-down discourse of ICH in each country, including government policies, people’s attitudes, and tourists’ perceptions.
ICH is an important symbol of the historical and cultural achievements of a country and nation [60], and an important part of traditional culture. Based on the study of the spatial structure of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region, this paper makes the following suggestions and proposals for the protection and transmission of ICH: First, emphasize distinctions and encourage coordinated regional ICH development and conservation. Although the Yangtze Delta region is rich in history and culture, the distribution of ICH among regions is unequal due to differences in economic growth and resource endowment. For instance, Anhui Province has a much smaller proportion of national ICH compared with other provinces and cities. The government plays a key role in the protection and inheritance of ICH, which should be guided by incentivization policies, improved protection measures, construction of cultural infrastructure, and enhanced official discourse. Furthermore, stakeholders should boost innovation, energize ICH in accordance with contemporary trends, reinvent communication strategies, increase public involvement in ICH through events like cultural tourist festivals, develop innovative ICH content, and provide ICH with new meanings based on inherited traditional culture.

6.2. Conclusions

Having examined the spatial distribution characteristics of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region, and the influencing factors affecting these, this study draws the following conclusions:
Primarily, in terms of the pattern of spatial distribution, national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region exhibits significant spatial clustering in general, and the characteristics of local clustering show spatial divergence, with high–high clustering areas mainly concentrated in southern Jiangsu Province and the major cities along the southeast coast of Zhejiang Province, low–low clustering mainly concentrated in Anhui Province and northern Jiangsu Province, while other clustering phenomena are not significant. The spatial distribution of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region shows a “multi-core” pattern, i.e., Shanghai is the main core area, and Suzhou and Hangzhou are the secondary core areas. Each province and every city shows a different degree and scale of band-like and cluster-like distribution. The spatial distribution of different types of ICH is differentiated, with cities in the southeastern part of the Yangtze Delta region at the core of agglomeration, and broader dispersal in the northwestern part. The spatial differentiation among regions and cities is obvious, with high–high agglomeration mainly concentrated in Zhejiang Province and the surrounding areas, and low–low agglomeration mainly concentrated in Anhui Province and the northern part of Jiangsu Province.
Furthermore, by overlaying different elements with the spatial location of ICH and comparing the results of different dimensions and factors, it was found that different factors have different effects on the spatial distribution of national ICH in the Yangtze Delta region. Government support is the leading force for the transmission of ICH, social and human factors are important conditions for the development of ICH, economic development provides the material basis for the further development of ICH, and the natural environment establishes the basic pattern of ICH spatial distribution. This proves our hypothesis that government does positively support the spatial distribution of ICH. In addition, the analysis results for factor interaction were divided into two categories, i.e., nonlinear enhancement (NE) and bi-factor enhancement (BE), and the combined influence of two factors was found to be greater than their individual effects.
Finally, we put forward the following suggestions. First, we hope that the knowledge gap addressed in this research may bring some guidance to support the future protection of ICH in this region, i.e., we should pay full attention to the important influence of government. Local ICH protection associations, non-governmental organizations, and the benefactors of inheritance should actively declare those potential and valuable heritage projects to relevant government departments. It is believed that this research can serve as a guide for other nations and regions around the world, recommending the consideration of governmental factors when choosing influencing elements and indicators.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, J.C. and S.L.; methodology, J.C., S.L. and C.L.; software, J.C., C.L. and R.H.; validation, J.C., S.L. and C.L.; formal analysis, J.C.; investigation, J.C., C.L. and R.H.; resources, J.C., S.L., C.L. and R.H.; data curation, J.C., S.L. and C.L.; writing—original draft preparation, J.C. and R.H; writing—review and editing, C.L. and S.L.; visualization, J.C. and C.L.; supervision, S.L.; project administration, J.C. and S.L.; funding acquisition, S.L. and C.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 41971171), and by Shanghai Normal University under the “2022 Construction of High-level Local Universities First-class Graduate Education Project”.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The data presented are available on request from the corresponding author.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Abbreviations

ICH: intangible cultural heritage; UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; NE: nonlinear enhancement; BE: bi-factor enhancement

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Figure 1. Overview of the study area.
Figure 1. Overview of the study area.
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Figure 2. The types and structural features of ICH.
Figure 2. The types and structural features of ICH.
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Figure 3. The spatial autocorrelation LISA of ICH in the Yangtze Delta region.
Figure 3. The spatial autocorrelation LISA of ICH in the Yangtze Delta region.
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Figure 4. Kernel density of ICH in the Yangtze Delta region.
Figure 4. Kernel density of ICH in the Yangtze Delta region.
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Figure 5. Spatial location of ICH and superposition of different elements.
Figure 5. Spatial location of ICH and superposition of different elements.
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Figure 6. The interaction of influencing factors.
Figure 6. The interaction of influencing factors.
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Table
Table 1. Selection of indicators of influencing factors.
Table 1. Selection of indicators of influencing factors.
FactorsIndexData Source
  • * Government Support
Official Document (x1)Area government website
Culture Construction (x2)Area statistical yearbook
Social HumanitiesPermanent Population (x3)Area statistical yearbook
Cultural Resources (x4)Area government website
Economic DevelopmentTransportation (x5)Area statistical yearbook
Per capita GDP (x6)Area statistic yearbook
Natural EnvironmentAltitude (x7)http://www.gscloud.cn/
(accessed on 20 July 2022)
River (x8)http://www.ngcc.cn/ngcc/ (accessed on 20 July 2022)
* Government Support is the dimension of the hypothesis.
Table
Table 2. The description of variables.
Table 2. The description of variables.
IndexIndex DescriptionDivision Basis
Official Document (x1) Quantity of official documentsNatural Breaks
Culture Construction (x2) Quantity of cultural venuesNatural Breaks
Permanent Population (x3)Size of permanent populationNatural Breaks
Cultural Resources (x4)Quantity of traditional villagesNatural Breaks
Transportation (x5)Total highway mileageNatural Breaks
Per Capita GDP (x6)Area per capita GDPNatural Breaks
Altitude (x7) Average altitudeNatural Breaks
River (x8)River lengthNatural Breaks
Table
Table 3. Overview of ICH types in different provinces and cities.
Table 3. Overview of ICH types in different provinces and cities.
Type/AreaAnhuiJiangsuZhejiangShanghaiSum
Traditional Dance10918441
Traditional Music92115954
Folk Art21028545
Folklore71139562
Folk Literature51124242
Traditional Art931301080
Traditional Medicine36121132
Traditional Drama252225779
Traditional Skill25385419136
Traditional Sports, Entertainment, and Acrobatics4212422
Total9916125776593
Table
Table 4. Detection results of influencing factors. “*” is the hypothesis of the article.
Table 4. Detection results of influencing factors. “*” is the hypothesis of the article.
FactorsIndex q   Value
  • * Government support
Official Document (x1)0.630
Culture Construction (x2)0.597
Social humanitiesPermanent Population (x3)0.461
Cultural Resource (x4)0.146
Economic developmentTransportation Condition (x5)0.175
GDP Per Capita (x6)0.266
Natural environmentAltitude (x7)0.196
River (x8)0.081
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Chang, J.; Long, C.; Lu, S.; Han, R. Does Government Positively Support the Spatial Distribution of ICH? Evidence of Data from the Yangtze Delta Region of China. Sustainability 2023, 15, 697. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010697

AMA Style

Chang J, Long C, Lu S, Han R. Does Government Positively Support the Spatial Distribution of ICH? Evidence of Data from the Yangtze Delta Region of China. Sustainability. 2023; 15(1):697. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010697

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chang, Jie, Cheng Long, Song Lu, and Rui Han. 2023. "Does Government Positively Support the Spatial Distribution of ICH? Evidence of Data from the Yangtze Delta Region of China" Sustainability 15, no. 1: 697. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010697

APA Style

Chang, J., Long, C., Lu, S., & Han, R. (2023). Does Government Positively Support the Spatial Distribution of ICH? Evidence of Data from the Yangtze Delta Region of China. Sustainability, 15(1), 697. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010697

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