Transmediation and communication of transmedia signs in Sino-French cultural heritage comics: case studies of Half-Hour Comic: The Forbidden City and L’Île Louvre

As two of the most complete existing examples of royal architecture and cultural World Heritage Sites in China, the Beijing Forbidden City and the Shenyang Imperial Palace are distinctive in terms of their spatial organization. This study used the relational diagram method of space syntax theory to quantitatively analyze the spaces of these two palaces. Furthermore, the characteristics of these spaces were explored by comparing the integration and depth value of each palace space, as well as the differences in architectural culture between the different times and nationalities that they reflect. The results show that in the Forbidden City, office space had the lowest degree of spatial enclosure (depth value), while living space had the highest spatial enclosure. Moreover, there was little difference in accessibility (integration value) among office space, living space, and recreation space. In the Shenyang Imperial Palace, the accessibility of office space, living space, and recreation space showed a decreasing trend, while their spatial enclosure showed an increasing trend. The depth values of office space, living space, and recreation space were higher in the Beijing Forbidden City than in the Shenyang Imperial Palace by 245%, 109%, and 35%, respectively. The integration value of office space was 22.2% higher in the Shenyang Imperial Palace than in the Forbidden City, while the integration values of living space and recreation space were higher in the Forbidden City than in the Shenyang Imperial Palace by 13.9% and 49.2%, respectively. The degree of enclosure of the recreation spaces in both palaces was very strong, indicating that the royal family paid attention to privacy during their leisure activities. In the process of use, the functional conversion of different palaces in the Forbidden City significantly improved the accessibility of both the emperor’s living space and the minister’s office space and simultaneously strengthened the connection between these two spaces. Factors in the construction sequence led to the unreasonable accessibility of recreation space in the Shenyang Imperial Palace.

PurposeWith the development of science and technology, more creators are trying to use new crafts to represent the cultural trends of the social media era, which makes cultural heritage innovative and new genres emerge. This compels the academic community to examine craft from a new perspective. It is very helpful to understand the hidden representational structure of craft more deeply and improve the craft innovation system of cultural and creative products that we deconstruct the craft based on Complex Network and discover its intrinsic connections.Design/methodology/approachThe research crawled and cleaned the craft information of the top 20% products on the Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products online and then performed Complex Network modeling, constructed three craft representation networks among function, material and technique, quantified and analyzed the inner connections and network structure of the craft elements, and then analyzed the cultural inheritance and innovation embedded in the craft representation networks.FindingsThe three dichotomous craft representation networks constructed by combining function, material and technique: (1) the network density is low and none of them has small-world characteristics, indicating that the innovative heritage of the craft elements in the Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products is at the stage of continuous exploration and development, and multiple coupling innovation is still insufficient; (2) all have scale-free characteristics and there is still a certain degree of community structure within each network, indicating that the coupling innovation of craft elements of the Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products is seriously uneven, with some specific “grammatical combinations” and an Island Effect in the network structure; (3) the craft elements with high network centrality emphasize the characteristics of decorative culture and design for the masses, as well as the pursuit of production efficiency and economic benefits, which represent the aesthetic purport of contemporary Chinese society and the ideological trend of production and life.Originality/valueThe Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products should continue to develop and enrich the multi-coupling innovation of craft elements, clarify and continue their own brand unique craft genes, and make full use of the network important nodes role.

Traditional color aesthetic education is vital for cultivating cultural understanding and creativity in students. This study designs and implements an interdisciplinary curriculum in primary schools that integrates PBL(Project-Based Learning) and STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) approaches, using the Forbidden City’s screen walls as a case study to enhance students’ aesthetic perception, creativity, and cultural identity. Current aesthetic education often relies on passive learning, limiting students’ active participation and interdisciplinary exploration. This research develops a curriculum that employs PBL to immerse students in real-world projects centered on the Forbidden City’s color system, while STEAM integration bridges art with scientific and technical skills. This method increases student engagement, enhances creativity, and deepens cultural heritage connections, offering a valuable model for modern education. Implementation in diverse primary school settings showed marked improvements in aesthetic perception, artistic expression, creative practice, and cultural understanding. This work highlights the potential of interdisciplinary, project-based curricula to enrich aesthetic education, bridge resource gaps, and provide a scalable solution for cultural preservation and educational innovation.

The cultural and creative industry has become a critical driving force for China's economic growth, with traditional Chinese culture serving as an essential element in this emerging industry. This paper focuses on the popular television show "New Forbidden City" and examines the application of traditional Chinese culture in the cultural and creative industry. By analyzing the characteristics of the show, its messages, and its impact on the industry, this paper concludes that the application of traditional Chinese culture in the cultural and creative industry is significant for both preserving cultural heritage and promoting economic development.

Starbucks is forbidden in the Forbidden City: Blog, circuit of culture and informal public relations campaign in China

Chinese ancient architecture is renowned for its unique large wooden structures and standards. However, the safety of the wooden structures in the Forbidden City has gradually deteriorated over long-term use. At present, most building safety evaluation methods rely on qualitative assessments rather than quantitative identifications. In the process of conducting safety evaluations, it is necessary to conduct sufficient analysis and judgment of building damage to determine the safety status of ancient buildings. To ensure the safety of the buildings, this study takes the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City as an example, using numerical simulation methods to analyze the components of Chinese wooden ancient architecture through finite element analysis, with the aim of quantitatively protecting China's traditional architectural cultural heritage. This study provides a scientific basis for the protection of China's traditional architectural cultural heritage and has high practical significance. The results showed that the deformation peak and internal force were within the allowable range according to relevant specifications.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the system of dependencies and contradictions between the Forbidden City as an object of cultural heritage and the transformation of the historic environment. The research methodology is based on a comparative study of literary sources and quantitative and qualitative data analysis using the example of the study of the Forbidden City. Based on the analysis of existing concepts, a model for managing the changing historical environment within the framework of the sustainable development of the Forbidden City has been developed. According to the study, the Forbidden City today is between two complex processes related to preserving and transforming the historic environment. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of museums and collections of cultural relics in the urban historical environment of Beijing, which directly contributes to the growth of tourist activity. This model should be based on the interaction of innovative digitalisation tools, intelligent solutions in urban planning, a rational approach and cultural tourism. In practice, this will allow for the maintenance of a more reasonable population density and the rational location of industrial and economic facilities and preserve the traditional aesthetic.

Water-related deterioration risk assessment for sustainable conservation of heritage buildings in the Forbidden City, China

This paper conducts an in-depth study on the inheritance and development of the Forbidden City's ceramic culture from the perspective of cross-cultural communication. By combing through the historical origins, artistic characteristics, and cultural connotations of the Forbidden City's ceramics, this paper reveals its significant position in the transmission of Chinese culture. Furthermore, the article analyzes how the Forbidden City's ceramic culture transcends geographical and cultural boundaries to achieve international dissemination and exchange under the backdrop of globalization. Based on this, the paper discusses the opportunities and challenges faced by the Forbidden City's ceramic culture in its inheritance and development process and proposes corresponding strategies and suggestions. The research aims to promote the international dissemination of the Forbidden City's ceramic culture, to drive its innovation and development in contemporary society, and to provide reference for the protection and transmission of world cultural heritage.

Introduced the concept of “ergodic theory” and “cultural omnivore”, this article takes Masters In Forbidden City—a representative documentary film—as an example, analyses online cultural consumption in China and We-Media consumer behavior from cultural studies and frame analysis perspectives. By doing case study and qualitative research, this article first suggests that although derived from popular culture, online cultural consumers can not only be seen as extensions of popular culture consumers, nor unitary sub-culture groups. Youth sub-cultural groups were supposed to be differentiated and exclusive, but nowadays they are becoming increasingly “mainstreamed” due to the development of internet enterprises and cultural omnivores. Secondly, online cultural consumers have their own decision-making and information-processing system based on virtual community culture criteria. This system distinguishes internet cultural consumer behaviors from traditional offline ones. Therefore, the model of AIINDAS may be adjusted accordingly: “investigating” can be simplified into “filtrating”, “experience” can be complicated as “ergodicity”, and accurate information can be replaced by dynamic information.

Abstract. The existing interior decoration of Qing Dynasty is the master of that of each dynasty, with its diversified forms and complicated functions. As early as 1920s, the Rehabilitation Committee of Qing court recorded the interior furnishing in the Forbidden City by using Chinese traditional documentary method. Today, along with the constantly updated techniques, the recording method for the current situation of interior decoration has gradually developed from two-dimensional drawings into digital and comprehensive record. However, the current research results are mostly limited to a single field. This paper takes the digital record and reproduction about the current situation of interior decoration in Jingfu Palace in the Forbidden City as an example. Through the use of photogrammetry, 3D laser scanning, virtual display and other technology and equipment at the forefront of architectural field, it makes qualitative and quantitative record about the interior decoration inside Jingfu Palace. By combing with the interpretation of historical documents, it restores the original design ideas hidden behind the current situation of interior decoration, so as to summarize the best recording and reproducing method of interior decoration of Qing Dynasty.

Abstract. Traditional Chinese classical architecture, a crucial part of China’s architectural heritage, has unique artistic and historical value. Its protection is increasingly recognized, but relying on timber structure, it faces threats from natural forces and human activity, making physical preservation fragile. A key conservation challenge is faithfully documenting architectural heritage throughout its lifecycle and overcoming barriers to audience engagement for sustainable value transmission. Digital technologies have enhanced heritage conservation efficiency. Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) generates comprehensive datasets for sustainable management, while virtual reality (VR) offers immersive public interpretation. WebVR, a VR application, enables accessible online heritage experiences via web platforms. Integrating HBIM and VR shows potential: HBIM provides foundational data for VR, and WebVR expands accessibility on portable devices. Focusing on Yangxin Hall in the Forbidden City, this study develops an HBIM-VR-WebVR framework for heritage information access, management, and transmission across conservation phases. User experience surveys validate the framework, which supports heritage conservation and public engagement, offering reference for similar projects.

This paper is a case study of Wu’s house, which is located at the Majiamiao hutong, only several blocks away from the imperial palace—the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is a typical quadrangle called Siheyuan, or "four-side enclosed courtyard". Historians declared that, judging by the architectural style and interior decoration, the house might have been constructed in the late Ming dynasty [1], which means the history of the house could go back for more than 400 years. The complete story of the house and its owners can be divided into three parts: first, a house for a large feudal family before 1949; secondly, a house for a famous dramatist until 1966; and finally, a house for the city poor from the Great Cultural Revolution on. During 400 years of social evolution and revolution, especially in the past 50 years, the house and the families who lived in it underwent great changes. The precise homology and strict hierarchy in Siheyuan, implied by the order of orientation and scale of the buildings within the house, was weakened gradually by the “revolutionists” who tried to establish an absolute equality among the people in every detail of their lives, including their house. However, never will a house like Siheyuan be equal to every member in it because it was born of politics.

To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of cultural heritage scene rendering, enabling dynamic interaction and immersive experiences for cultural inheritance. The study improves the grey wolf optimization algorithm, integrates it into deep learning oversampling training, and optimizes rendering based on color attribute theory. Performance is evaluated through function testing and image reconstruction, with examples from Dunhuang murals and the Forbidden City. The improved algorithm achieved fast convergence (50 iterations for uni-modal, 80 for multi-modal functions) and high robustness (98.6% success rate, 0.35 s runtime). Rendering optimization increased contrast and color saturation significantly, enhancing visual appeal and cultural conveyance. This research innovatively combines improved optimization algorithms with deep learning and color theory, offering an efficient technical solution for digital cultural heritage preservation and interactive display, promoting cultural diversity and heritage appreciation.

This article explores a historic rural craft tradition as the focus of economic development through the valorisation of the local cultural heritage, or culture economy. The case‐study traces the revival of bamboo birdcage making in Da’ou village in Shandong Province, where the craft knowledge of making birdcages once prized by the Chinese imperial court has been passed on through generations and protected from outsiders. Since economic reforms in the 1980s, the birdcage craft has again become the major activity in Da’ou village, responding to new urban market demands, and bringing prosperity. Yet, through a conceptualisation of cultural heritage as a ‘prosaic third space’, the article reveals the dynamics and tensions involved in the incorporation of the birdcage tradition in local economic development strategies and the promotion of e‐commerce and tourism, and the processes of abstraction initiated. As such, it raises questions about the relationship between craft, knowledge and place that resonate beyond China. The research is based on semi‐structured interviews conducted in 2016 with respondents including local leaders, craftspeople, suppliers, and sellers.