Research on the Mechanism of Cultural Heritage Activation under the Community-Driven Model—Taking South China as an Example
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Research on the Mechanism of Cultural Heritage Activation under the Community-Driven Model—Taking South China as an Example

Shujie Peng 1*
1 Newcastle university
*Corresponding author: shujie430@gmail.com
Published on 3 September 2025
Journal Cover
CHR Vol.76
ISSN (Print): 2753-7072
ISSN (Online): 2753-7064
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-146-4
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-284-3
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Abstract

In the context of China’s rapid urbanization, top-down approaches to cultural heritage protection often fails to maintain authenticity and community vitality. This study examines the community-driven model as an alternative paradigm, focusing on South China cases (Mei Zilin, Liu Gengtang, etc.). Through qualitative methods, this paper analyzes how community participation shifts from symbolic consultation to substantive co-governance; the collaborative mechanism of multiple subjects in the inheritance of cultural memory; the reproduction path of activating space in the material, functional and symbolic dimensions; and core structural challenges. The results prove that the co-creation mechanism combining institutional empowerment with local knowledge translation can stimulate the endogenous momentum of the community and achieve the sustainable rejuvenation of cultural heritage. However, it is necessary to resolve the tension between the protection of historical authenticity and the adaptability to contemporary development, and overcome technology gaps and cultural commercialization risks. This model balances heritage protection and community development, but its successful implementation depends on a deep understanding of local social structures and cultural contexts and the design of adaptive mechanisms.

Keywords:

Cultural heritage revitalization, collaborative co-creation, cultural memory, spatial reproduction, architectural protection

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Peng,S. (2025). Research on the Mechanism of Cultural Heritage Activation under the Community-Driven Model—Taking South China as an Example. Communications in Humanities Research,76,51-57.

References

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[2]. Assmann, J. (2011) Cultural Memory and Early Civilization: Writing, Remembrance, and Political Imagination. Cambridge University Press.

[3]. Chung, H.L. (2025) Project Plum Grove: Sustainable Rural Revitalization through Collaborative Conservation. Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong Press.

[4]. Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. (2023) Ecological Survey Report of Lantau Peak. Hong Kong: AFCD Press.

[5]. Hong Kong Council of Social Service (2023) Digital Divide Among Elderly in Rural Communities. Available at: https: //www.hkcss.org.hk/e_report/.

[6]. Guangzhou City Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center (2023) Public Awareness Survey Report on the Shawan Silver Holding Ceremony [Online]. Available at: http: //www.ihchina.cn/.

[7]. Panyu District Cultural Relics Protection Center (2023) Building Damage Assessment Report of Jiushuikeng Chen Gong Temple. Available at: http: //www.panyu.gov.cn/whj/ (Accessed: 28 June 2025).

[8]. Ou, B. (2024) Nostalgia Reconstructed: Art Intervention in Qiaoxiang Villages. Guangzhou: Lingnan Art Press.

[9]. Ansell, C. and Gash, A. (2008) Collaborative Governance in Theory and Practice. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18(4): 543–571.

[10]. Lefebvre, H. (1991) The Production of Space, Translated by D. Nicholson-Smith. Oxford: Blackwell.

[11]. MacCannell, D. (1973) Staged Authenticity: Arrangements of Social Space in Tourist Settings. American Journal of Sociology, 79(3): 589–603.

[12]. Nora, P. (1989) Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Mémoire. Representations, 26, 7–24.

[13]. Nansha District Committee Organization Department. (2025) Practice White Paper on the Partner Mechanism of Warm South Development. Available at: https: //static.nfnews.com/content/202503/25/c11116531.html.

[14]. Smith, L. (2019) Uses of Heritage (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.

[15]. Ostrom, E. (1990) Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge University Press.

[16]. Harvey, D. (2001) Spaces of Capital: Towards a Critical Geography. Edinburgh University Press.

[17]. Connerton, P. (1989) How Societies Remember. Cambridge University Press.

[18]. Pfeiffer, D. (2012) Technological Apartheid: Colonial Legacies in Digital Heritage, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 18(5): 436–450.

[19]. Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press.

[20]. Ho, P. (2017) Land Trusts and Collective Empowerment in Post-Colonial Asia, Geoforum, 85: 129–138.

References

[1]. Architecture School, Chinese University of Hong Kong (2024) Technical Report on the Plum Forest Rehabilitation Plan. Available at: https: //bbs.co188.com/thread-10516574-1-1.html.

[2]. Assmann, J. (2011) Cultural Memory and Early Civilization: Writing, Remembrance, and Political Imagination. Cambridge University Press.

[3]. Chung, H.L. (2025) Project Plum Grove: Sustainable Rural Revitalization through Collaborative Conservation. Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong Press.

[4]. Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. (2023) Ecological Survey Report of Lantau Peak. Hong Kong: AFCD Press.

[5]. Hong Kong Council of Social Service (2023) Digital Divide Among Elderly in Rural Communities. Available at: https: //www.hkcss.org.hk/e_report/.

[6]. Guangzhou City Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center (2023) Public Awareness Survey Report on the Shawan Silver Holding Ceremony [Online]. Available at: http: //www.ihchina.cn/.

[7]. Panyu District Cultural Relics Protection Center (2023) Building Damage Assessment Report of Jiushuikeng Chen Gong Temple. Available at: http: //www.panyu.gov.cn/whj/ (Accessed: 28 June 2025).

[8]. Ou, B. (2024) Nostalgia Reconstructed: Art Intervention in Qiaoxiang Villages. Guangzhou: Lingnan Art Press.

[9]. Ansell, C. and Gash, A. (2008) Collaborative Governance in Theory and Practice. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18(4): 543–571.

[10]. Lefebvre, H. (1991) The Production of Space, Translated by D. Nicholson-Smith. Oxford: Blackwell.

[11]. MacCannell, D. (1973) Staged Authenticity: Arrangements of Social Space in Tourist Settings. American Journal of Sociology, 79(3): 589–603.

[12]. Nora, P. (1989) Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Mémoire. Representations, 26, 7–24.

[13]. Nansha District Committee Organization Department. (2025) Practice White Paper on the Partner Mechanism of Warm South Development. Available at: https: //static.nfnews.com/content/202503/25/c11116531.html.

[14]. Smith, L. (2019) Uses of Heritage (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.

[15]. Ostrom, E. (1990) Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge University Press.

[16]. Harvey, D. (2001) Spaces of Capital: Towards a Critical Geography. Edinburgh University Press.

[17]. Connerton, P. (1989) How Societies Remember. Cambridge University Press.

[18]. Pfeiffer, D. (2012) Technological Apartheid: Colonial Legacies in Digital Heritage, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 18(5): 436–450.

[19]. Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press.

[20]. Ho, P. (2017) Land Trusts and Collective Empowerment in Post-Colonial Asia, Geoforum, 85: 129–138.

Cite this article

Peng,S. (2025). Research on the Mechanism of Cultural Heritage Activation under the Community-Driven Model—Taking South China as an Example. Communications in Humanities Research,76,51-57.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICADSS 2025 Symposium: Art, Identity, and Society: Interdisciplinary Dialogues

ISBN: 978-1-80590-146-4(Print) / 978-1-80590-284-3(Online)
Editor: Ioannis Panagiotou, Yanhua Qin
Conference website: https://2025.icadss.org/Lincoln.html
Conference date: 22 August 2025
Series: Communications in Humanities Research
Volume number: Vol.76
ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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