A bibliometric study of intangible cultural heritage and community research

This study adopts bibliometric methods to systematically review the development trajectory of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and community research from 2003 to 2025. Using the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database as the data source, 235 relevant documents published between 2003 and 2025 were selected as samples. Bibliometric techniques were applied, and statistical analysis was conducted with the help of the CiteSpace visualization tool to reveal the overall trends and key characteristics of research in this field. The study analyzes annual trends, keyword frequencies, research institutions, the evolution of research hotspots, and future trends, and ultimately presents a scientific knowledge map based on data visualization to outline the research context. The results show that research on ICH communities has been steadily growing, but a mature research framework has yet to be established. Core topics focus on community participation, educational inheritance, and protection practices. Emerging trends show dual drivers in tourism development and legal protection. However, current research still faces challenges such as weak research capacity, a high number of prolific authors, and a limited number of institutions. In recent years, there has been a significant practical shift in ICH research, deeply aligning with the national cultural development strategy. A multidimensional research framework has been established in areas such as cultural industry innovation, technological integration, and interdisciplinary platform development. Among these, the construction of community subjectivity as an emerging theoretical perspective is driving the transformation and reconstruction of the ICH protection paradigm.