Narrative strategies in short videos for traditional craftsmanship in intangible cultural heritage: empirical evidence from Douyin

With the rapid expansion of the Internet, short videos have gradually developed as a new direction for disseminating intangible cultural heritage (ICH). This study analyses short videos on ICH traditional craftsmanship posted by 26 leading cultural influencers on Douyin (China’s TikTok). All relevant videos from each account were included, spanning from the date of account creation to July 1, 2024. A total of 471 valid short videos were collected for analysis. By using grounded theory and principal component analysis, this study constructs a narrative system framework for short videos on ICH traditional craftsmanship, which identifies four key dimensions and ten influencing elements. Through regression analysis, the study reveals the relationships between narrative elements and different interaction behaviours among audiences, ultimately proposing an “interaction behaviours—hierarchy of needs” relationship model. This study provides practical guidance for the creation and optimisation of ICH short video content. It contributes to improving the efficiency of ICH dissemination and increasing public engagement, thereby enhancing the protective value and empowering potential of ICH in contemporary society.