# Folding and unfolding: A topological framework for understanding intangible cultural heritage tourism in urban villages - The case of chebei dragon boat scenery, Guangzhou, China

## TL;DR

This study introduces a new framework to understand how cultural heritage in urban villages can be preserved through tourism, using the example of dragon boat traditions in Guangzhou.

## Contribution

The paper presents a novel topological framework for analyzing intangible cultural heritage spaces, emphasizing continuous deformation while preserving cultural authenticity.

## Key findings

- A '2-6-18' generative logic underlies the structure and reproduction of intangible cultural heritage spaces.
- Cultural experience is identified as the core topological invariant enabling cultural continuity amid spatial transformation.
- Tourism-driven 'unfolding' processes make implicit cultural knowledge explicit while maintaining essential properties.

## Abstract

Rapid urbanization poses unprecedented challenges to intangible cultural heritage (ICH) preservation, particularly within urban villages where traditional practices face displacement pressures. While heritage tourism offers potential solutions, existing frameworks inadequately address how ICH spaces maintain cultural authenticity while undergoing radical transformation.

This study introduces a novel topological framework to analyze ICH space dynamics, conceptualizing them as entities capable of continuous deformation while preserving fundamental properties. Using grounded theory methodology, we conducted 38 in-depth interviews, extensive participant observation, and comprehensive document analysis of the Chebei Dragon Boat Scenery in Guangzhou, China.

Our analysis reveals a “2-6-18” generative logic underlying ICH space structure and reproduction. We identify “cultural experience” as the core topological invariant that enables cultural continuity despite spatial transformation. ICH spaces are reproduced through dynamic interactions within a “culture-power-capital” three-dimensional matrix, facilitated by tourism-driven “unfolding” processes that make implicit cultural knowledge explicit while maintaining essential properties.

The findings demonstrate how “urban renewal + cultural tourism integration” can serve as an effective spatial reproduction mechanism for ICH preservation. This topological approach offers a robust analytical framework for heritage tourism management, moving beyond binary preservation-development paradigms toward adaptive sustainability models that honor both cultural continuity and contemporary urban development needs.