Innovating China's Intangible Cultural Heritage with DeepSeek + MidJourney: The Case of Yangliuqing theme Woodblock Prints

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel AI-driven method combining DeepSeek and MidJourney to generate innovative Yangliuqing woodblock prints, effectively preserving cultural heritage while fostering creative expression related to COVID-19 and celebration themes.

Contribution

The study introduces a hybrid AI approach that enhances traditional Chinese woodblock art with thematic generation, evaluated by FID scores and participant feedback, demonstrating improved cultural preservation and engagement.

Findings

Lowest FID score of 150.2 indicating high quality

Participants showed strong interest in AI-generated traditional art

Hybrid method effectively blends tradition with modern AI creativity

Abstract

Yangliuqing woodblock prints, a cornerstone of China's intangible cultural heritage, are celebrated for their intricate designs and vibrant colors. However, preserving these traditional art forms while fostering innovation presents significant challenges. This study explores the DeepSeek + MidJourney approach to generating creative, themed Yangliuqing woodblock prints focused on the fight against COVID-19 and depicting joyous winners. Using Fr\'echet Inception Distance (FID) scores for evaluation, the method that combined DeepSeek-generated thematic prompts, MidJourney-generated thematic images, original Yangliuqing prints, and DeepSeek-generated key prompts in MidJourney-generated outputs achieved the lowest mean FID score (150.2) with minimal variability ({\sigma} = 4.9). Additionally, feedback from 62 participants, collected via questionnaires, confirmed that this hybrid approach produced the most representative results. Moreover, the questionnaire data revealed that participants demonstrated the highest willingness to promote traditional culture and the strongest interest in consuming the AI-generated images produced through this method. These findings underscore the effectiveness of an innovative approach that seamlessly blends traditional artistic elements with modern AI-driven creativity, ensuring both cultural preservation and contemporary relevance.