The Transmission and Educational Strategies of Tieling Umbrella Lantern Yangko: A Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage in China

Abstract

This study analyzes the evolution and forms of the transmission of the Tieling Umbrella Lantern Yangko, an example of provincial-level intangible cultural heritage from Liaoning Province, China. This study aims to provide a detailed account of the history of Tieling Umbrella Lantern Yangko and examine the existing strategies of contemporary transmission and pedagogy concerning the cultural longevity paradox of the phenomenon. This research poses the question: What historical and cultural circumstances have allowed the Tieling Umbrella Lantern Yangko to survive to the present, and what methods may enable its survival into the future?. Adopting a qualitative fieldwork design, the study’s primary sources of data include three years (2023-2025) of ethnographic fieldwork, in-depth interviews with 12 key informants selected through purposive sampling, and content analysis of the Liubian Ji Lue (1707) and other historical documents. The results show that the Tieling Umbrella Lantern Yangko is a manifestation of the synthesis of Manchu and Han cultures, beginning with the relocated Shanxi Umbrella Head traditions in the early Qing dynasty. Six main transmission pathways have been identified: family, master–apprentice, ritual, formal, digital, cultural, and educational tourism. The results show that the predominant source of pedagogy is informal, and that in urbanised societies, family structures provide informal educational opportunities, while for a culture to survive in the present, pedagogy must exist in an educational context with perhaps contradictory aims/functions in reference to the culture being contemporary and authentic to folk practices. The research shows that a two-model pedagogy incorporating professional art educators and traditional heritage masters is necessary for modern curricula. Additionally, vital strategic steps to be taken by young inheritors regarding the dual aspects of technical safeguarding and financial security include the establishment of a Digital Gene Bank with rich metadata and the linkage of Cultural Technology. This study offers the first detailed framework for the pedagogical promotion of regional folk art and illustrates a flexible model for the cultural sustainability of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. Future research should employ a longitudinal approach to measure the long-term retention of skills among students and explore the impact of immersive technologies such as VR/AR on youth engagement within the transmission process.