Storyliving in Immersive VR Theater: Transmedia Strategies for Oriental Aesthetics and Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage

This study investigates transmedia narrative strategies for integrating Eastern aesthetic principles and Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) into immersive VR theatre productions. Through comparative analysis of three commercially successful case studies—Love Between Fairy and Devil, Luoyang, and Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II—the research identifies methodological frameworks addressing persistent challenges in cultural fidelity, technological innovation, and sustainable IP development. Theoretically anchored in Oriental Aesthetics (e.g., liúbái [negative space], tiānrén héyī [harmony between humankind and nature]), UNESCO’s ICH safeguarding protocols, and Jenkins’ transmedia storytelling paradigms, the study employs a hybrid methodology combining content analysis with dimensional deconstruction of narrative architectures, technological implementations, and audience engagement mechanisms. Through the construction of the Narrative Integration, Technological Synergy, and Transmedia Sustainability triaxial analytical framework, this study provides methodological solutions and operational paradigms for Immersive VR Theatres centered on presenting cinematic works of Oriental aesthetics, along with their transmedia storytelling and developmental dimensions.