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Abstract
ABSTRACT This article examines how the participation of communities, groups, and individuals concerned (CGIs) in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is framed and reconfigured in 44 nomination videos submitted by China to UNESCO for inscription between 2008 and 2024. Employing media archaeology and multimodal analysis, it explores these videos as “archaeological” traces of heritage-making and layered dynamic “social text” shaped by institutional, political, and technological forces. While the analysis reveals a shift from state-centered narratives to increased CGIs visibility, it also demonstrates that this shift remains mediated through state-controlled framing, limiting grassroots agency. The study highlights how nomination videos function as heritage documentation and narrative construction tools, reinforcing risks of homogenization in global safeguarding practices. It concludes by advocating for CGIs-initiated narratives that prioritize empowerment and capacity building, proposing a more inclusive and sustainable approach to ICH representation.
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