Preservation finds a way into modern hearts

A broader movement

Zhou's story reflects a wider transformation taking place across China's heritage sector.

This year's ICH summer shopping month places particular emphasis on connecting traditional culture with contemporary consumption. Alongside exhibitions and craft demonstrations, the event features activities exploring themes such as "ICH plus designer toys", "ICH plus fashion", and "ICH plus technology" — an acknowledgment that preservation today increasingly depends on finding new ways to engage modern audiences.

The shift is being driven in part by changing consumer behavior, particularly among younger generations.

According to leading online food delivery and local services platform Meituan, searches related to nationally recognized intangible cultural heritage food traditions exceeded 18 million in 2025, up 34 percent year-on-year. Orders placed with related merchants rose by 140 percent, while nearly two-thirds of searches came from consumers aged 20 to 35.

Industry observers say the figures point to a growing appetite for heritage experiences that feel interactive, accessible and relevant to daily life, besides those from the museums or textbooks.

A report on China's cultural and creative industries, released by China Cultural Media Group, notes that heritage-based cultural products are increasingly moving beyond static preservation toward what it calls "living innovation" and market-oriented development, allowing traditional culture to become part of everyday consumer experiences.

For entrepreneurs and inheritors alike, the question has now been how to translate them into forms that resonate with younger consumers.

Pony with personality

About two hours north of Suzhou by high-speed rail, another experiment in heritage innovation has been unfolding in Zibo, Shandong province.

Wang Zhi, a municipal-level inheritor of Zibo soft pottery, has spent more than a decade exploring ways to engage contemporary audiences with traditional clay sculpture.

Her studio is known for miniature works inspired by Chinese history, everyday life and classical art. But national attention arrived in 2024 with the debut of Long Dada, a dragon whose round body and playful expression challenged conventional depictions of the mythical creature.

The character quickly gained popularity online and helped Wang rethink how traditional culture could be presented to younger audiences.

Her latest creation pushes that idea further.

Known as Ma Biaobiao, or "Scruffy Pony", the figure was developed in collaboration with the Beijing Fine Art Academy and inspired by a late painting by renowned Chinese artist Qi Baishi, depicting the spirit and vitality of a galloping horse.

The pony features oversized eyes and a dramatically fluffy mane made not from clay but from Tan sheep wool.

Achieving the dynamic pose proved technically demanding. The sculpture's front legs touch the ground while the hind legs lift into the air, requiring repeated experimentation and an internal support structure capable of withstanding the firing process.

To strengthen the connection with the original artwork, the team designed the display so the pony appears to leap from a traditional Chinese scroll painting.

The feature that most captured public attention, however, was the mane.

Owners are encouraged to braid, curl, decorate, or style it however they wish.

"We call it co-creation," Wang says.

The idea extends beyond the product itself. The pony's name originated from internet users, who described the character using the Shandong dialect word biao, a term suggesting something goofy, impulsive or endearingly eccentric. The team adopted the nickname and continued refining the character in response to customer feedback.

New mane colors, accessories and design details emerged through interactions with fans online.

"We listen carefully," Wang says. That approach has helped transform a single clay sculpture into a broader cultural IP encompassing keychains, refrigerator magnets, bags, and apparel.

For Wang, the appeal lies in creating an emotional connection.

"Heritage isn't something frozen in time. It continues to evolve," she says.

Wang has thought a lot about what makes heritage stick.

"A friend once told me our works have a 'human touch'," she says."That phrase exactly woke me up. Intangible cultural heritage is about the warmth of the hand, the sedimentation of time, the power of healing, the possibility of co-creation."