Volume 3,Issue 9
Craft Inheritance and Community Symbiosis: Living Inheritance and Innovative Paths of Huili Red Copper Hot Pot Craftsmanship
This study takes the “Huili Red Copper Hot Pot Craftsmanship”—an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) item of Sichuan Province—as its research object. Rooted in the context of local ICH research, it systematically explores the internal logic, practical paths, and realistic dilemmas of its living inheritance and modern transformation. First, the study sorts out the symbiotic relationship between the craftsmanship and the region, shaped by Huili’s unique copper resources and the historical context of the Southern Silk Road. Then, from the perspective of “Folklore of Craftsmen”, it analyzes the generation mechanism of embodied practice and tacit knowledge in the oral and experiential transmission model, as well as the risk of intergenerational discontinuity. On this basis, it focuses on how the craftsmanship has achieved creative transformation from a practical cooking utensil to a cultural symbol through functional improvement and form innovation under the guidance of the concept of productive protection. Furthermore, the study discusses how inheritance subjects represented by the Fengtongjiang Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Research and Study Base in Luchang Town, Huili City, have promoted positive interaction between cultural identity and economic benefits in the context of cultural-tourism integration and rural revitalization by constructing community participation mechanisms. The research finds that the vitality of Huili red copper hot pot stems from the organic unity of the craftsmanship itself, inheritance subjects, and the community context in dynamic practice. Its experience provides an insightful local model for the sustainable inheritance of traditional handicraft ICH.
[1] Han CY, 2020, An Attempt at the Theoretical Construction of the Concept of “Intangible Cultural Heritage”. Journal of Guangxi University for Nationalities (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 42(2): 53–58.
[2] Wang Q, 2005, Cultural Inheritance: An Enduring Topic. China Book Review, 2005(8): 3–7.
[3] Chen Z, Tan DS, 2025, Passing on the Torch and Writing a New Chapter: Research on the Living Inheritance of Ethnic Minority Sports Equipment Making Craftsmanship in China. Journal of Guangzhou Sport University, 45(2): 11–19.
[4] Ma GQ, 2011, Intangible Cultural Heritage: Cultural Expression and Cultural Grammar. Academic Research, 2011(5): 35–41.
[5] Huang JH, 2010, Folklore of Craftsmen: A Study of Craft Folklore Focusing on “Intangibility”. Thinking, 36(5): 110–113.
[6] Deng XY, 2012, Thoughts on Community Participation in the Tourism Development of Intangible Cultural Heritage from the Perspective of Cultural Inheritance. Guangxi Ethnic Studies, 2012(1): 180–184.
[7] Cao L, Li X, Wang XM, et al., 2015, Research on the Protection and Transformation of Food Culture-related Intangible Cultural Heritage. China Condiment, 40(1): 106–109.
[8] Zhang JJ, Wang J, 2020, Research on the “Multi-dimensional Interactive Inheritance Model” of the Eight Great Handicrafts of Yanjing Based on Grounded Theory. Journal of Research on Ethnic Education, 31(2): 75–84.
[9] Wang Y, Hu HL, 2014, Cultural Identity: The Core Mechanism for the Survival and Development of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Fujian Tribune (Humanities and Social Sciences Edition), 2014(10): 49–55.
[10] Ding M, 2016, Dialogue: Intangible Cultural Heritage and Modernization—From the Perspective of a Uyghur Earthenware Craftsman. Guangxi Ethnic Studies, 2016(3): 25–31.
[11] Guo YL, Zhang DQ, 2017, An Analysis of the Archival Protection of Food Craft-related Intangible Cultural Heritage. Beijing Archives, 2017(7): 35–37.
[12] Liang JY, 2019, “Craftsmanship” and “Craft Spirit”: Humanistic Interpretation of the Modern Discourse in the Documentary Inheritance. Film Review, 2019(9): 94–97.