Coupling minimum cumulative resistance and circuit theory for intangible cultural heritage corridor construction: A case study of the Jin-Shaan gorge

Intangible Cultural Heritage(ICH) is an important foundation for sustainable cultural development and regional cultural identify. However, ICH resources are often spatially fragmented, and their regional integration receives limited attention. Existing corridor methods also have difficulty representing multiple connectivity pathways and spatial continuity between heritage resources. This study examined 177 designated ICH sites in the Jin–Shaan Gorge section of the Yellow River Basin as the research objects, utilizing integrated Geographic Information Systems, Kernel Density Estimation, the Nearest Neighbor Index, the Analytic Hierarchy Process, the Minimum Cumulative Resistance model, and circuit theory to investigate the spatial distribution characteristics and optimize the ICH corridor network. The results show clear clustering, with large-scale dispersed distribution and small-scale clustered distribution, forming a “three cores and one belt” pattern. The main clusters are located in Suide County, Hancheng, Hejin, and Shuocheng District. Suitability analysis shows that highly suitable and moderately suitable areas for corridor construction account for approximately 74.0% of the study area and are predominantly located in the southern part of the gorge. The coupled Minimum Cumulative Resistance model and circuit theory identify a hierarchical corridor system with 78 primary corridors, 38 secondary corridors, and 9 tertiary corridors, forming a spatially connected and integrated heritage network. This study proposes a multi-scale framework for Intangible Cultural Heritage corridors and provides a scientific basis for the systematic conservation, spatial integration, and sustainable development of intangible cultural heritage in large river-basin regions.