Spatial heterogeneity and multi-scale drivers of intangible cultural heritage in China: An empirical study of national and provincial level projects

Abstract As an important carrier of human civilization, the spatial distribution and formation mechanism of ICH is one of the core topics in cultural geography and heritage research. Taking China's national and provincial ICH as the research object, this paper comprehensively analyzes the spatial distribution characteristics of ICH by using multiple geospatial analysis methods and analyzes the impact and interaction between physical geography and socio-economic factors on the distribution of ICH by using the Geodetector model. The results show that China's ICH presents a hierarchical spatial pattern of "dense in the east and sparse in the west"; national ICH forms a structure of "two cores, two belts and multiple points", reflecting a " institutional guarantee" distribution; provincial ICH presents a pattern of "three cores, three belts and multiple nodes", which has a stronger "ecology-humanities" characteristic. There are significant differences in the distribution of different types of ICH: The traditional skills ICH is distributed in the eastern region, the folk customs and traditional dance ICH is densely distributed in the western region and the traditional medicine ICH is constrained by ecological resources. Natural environment, social economy, history and culture all have an impact on the distribution of ICH, and history and culture and population are the core factors affecting the distribution of ICH. There are also differences in the influencing factors of different types of ICH. This spatial heterogeneity reveals the dynamic interaction between cultural ecology and social development-ICH is not only a spatial carrier of historical heritage, but also a cultural representation of contemporary human activities and long-term adaptation to the natural environment. This study not only deepens the scientific understanding of the spatial distribution of ICH in China, but also provides an empirical basis for the formulation of cultural heritage protection policies.