A study on the construction of knowledge graph of Yunjin video resources under productive conservation

Abstract Nanjing Yunjin, a highly representative Chinese silk weaving handicraft, was included in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. However, due to modern silk weaving technology advancements, aesthetic style evolution, and inadequate public recognition of Yunjin culture, the art faces a decline in market recognition and practitioners, posing a risk to its preservation. Addressing this issue necessitates product innovation, efficient knowledge storage, management, and utilization, and enhancing public cultural identity for Yunjin. Following the government’s “productive conservation” concept for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) projects in the handicraft category, this study uses Yunjin video resources as the primary data source. It constructs a domain knowledge graph (DKG) using an ontological approach to effectively and systematically preserve Yunjin knowledge. Furthermore, the study leverages Neo4j network topology to reveal intricate and diverse relationships within Yunjin knowledge, uncovering rich cultural connotations. Lastly, Cypher is employed for semantic queries, graph visualization, and domain expert evaluation. Evaluation results indicate that the constructed Yunjin DKG meets quality standards, supporting the development of products that align with market aesthetics while preserving Yunjin’s intrinsic cultural values. This approach fosters a complementary relationship between economic benefits and ICH. Additionally, the Yunjin DKG application presents a technical path for knowledge interconnection, integration, and discovery within ICH projects in the handicraft category.