Spatiotemporal distribution pattern and evolution characteristics of intangible cultural heritage in Northwest China

Northwest China is an important carrier of Chinese cultural diversity. This study used 437 national-level ICH projects as the research object. The analysis results showed that: (1) There were significant inter-provincial differences, with performing arts and traditional skills dominating and knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe being the least; (2) 2006−2021, the number of ICH projects, inheritors, and protection bases showed a trend of ‘peak-contraction-stabilization-recovery’; (3) the spatial concentration was high, with ‘dense in the east and sparse in the west’, with Xinjiang being the strongest; (4) the spatial distribution is influenced by the interaction of policies, national culture, physical geography and socioeconomic factors; (5) the project centre is in Qinghai Province, and the hotspots are developing from localized to balanced; and (6) word cloud analysis shows that each province has obvious ethnic and cultural differences.