Activating Cultural Genes: A Generative Ecosystem Approach for the Living Transmission of Tianjin Yangliuqing New Year Paintings

Conventional approaches to Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) preservation, such as static documentation and superficial commercialization, frequently undermine its vitality by reifying it as a fixed artifact detached from its evolving socio-cultural context. This study challenges this object-centric paradigm by proposing an ecosystem-centric framework that reconceptualizes ICH as a dynamic, self-organizing cultural ecosystem. Our framework integrates Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory to provide a macro-level ecological perspective, with Emotional Design theory offering a micro-level mechanism for fostering public engagement. We theoretically instantiate this framework through the Yangliuqing Narrative Ecosystem, a design case applied to Tianjin Yangliuqing New Year Paintings. This system combines tangible, modular cultural gene carriers with a digital co-creation platform that guides users through visceral, behavioral, and reflective levels of engagement, aiming to transform them from passive consumers into active co-creators. This process is designed to cultivate a community of practice that drives the heritage’s adaptive evolution. The study contributes a novel theoretical framework and a transferable design methodology, presenting a robust model for reactivating the intrinsic vitality of cultural traditions in the digital age.