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oai:keep.lib.asu.edu:node-2023822025-08-18T22:22:09Zoai_pmh:alloai_pmh:repo_items

202382 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.202382 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ All Rights Reserved 2025 98 pages Masters Thesis Academic theses en Zhao, Yuxiao Ferreira, Bruno Szabo, Adriana Cimino, Angelo Arizona State University Partial requirement for: M.S., Arizona State University, 2025 Field of study: Community Resources and Development Li brocade is one of China's oldest cotton textile crafts. In 2009, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included Li brocade in the “List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Urgent Need of Protection.” Although Li brocade has gained considerable recognition through cultural and heritage tourism and the “museum fever,” increased visibility has not led to a revival of the skill, as it failed to engage audiences in the actual practice of the craft. Consequently, the public mostly sees the finished products like clothes, scarves, and handbags, unaware of the necessary skills, time investment, and cultural significance of Li brocade patterns. Conversely, through a process called reflexive interaction, creative tourists are encouraged to shift from a spectator role in conventional tourism to an active learning mode. The idea is that travelers can gain a deeper and more meaningful understanding of Li brocade by participating in small workshops curated by locals, rather than visiting a museum with static displays of the craft. Importantly, this approach may inspire local youth to learn the skill, seeing it as a microentrepreneurial opportunity and a way to earn a living locally. In this manner, traditional intangible cultural heritage skills can become integrated into the wider community, thereby “coming alive” instead of being confined to a few isolated groups. This study examines how creative tourism can contribute to the revival of intangible cultural heritage among the Li in Hainan. Findings show that 1) Li brocade holds great significance for community members, and for some, it defines their identities, 2) current mechanisms for the Li community to earn a livelihood through Li brocade include selling products, offering courses, and participating in competitions, 3) today, cultural transmission of Li brocade knowledge and skills occurs through various methods such as vocational training, apprenticeships, and mother-daughter teaching (transmission has expanded from solely Li women to include both men and women, 4) the concept of a Li brocade creative workshop is introduced. This research provides unique insights into how tourism microentrepreneurship supports the preservation of intangible cultural heritage and shapes tourist experiences within the Chinese cultural tourism ecosystem. Keywords: Creative tourism, Li brocade, intangible cultural heritage, Hainan Hospitality, Leisure, and Tourism Studies Creative Tourism Hainan Intangible cultural heritage Li brocade Hanging by a Thread - Challenges to Intangible Cultural Heritage Transmission: Li Brocade and the Promise of Creative Tourism