Author(s)

Wenhao Xiong ¹, Zhengfen Shui ²

Affiliation(s)

¹ School of Management, Chongqing College of International Business and Economics, 401520, Chongqing, China
² School of Global Business, Chongqing College of International Business and Economics, 401520, Chongqing, China

Corresponding Author

Zhengfen Shui

ABSTRACT

As a quintessential component of Chinese traditional culture, Bashu Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) faces new opportunities and challenges in the era of global digital media. TikTok, as a leading global short-video platform, has restructured the logic of cultural dissemination through its algorithm-driven content distribution and high-intensity visual orientation. This study systematically evaluates the overseas communication effectiveness of Bashu ICH on TikTok using a multi-dimensional framework encompassing content visibility, audience interaction, cultural translation, and sustainability. Based on the mediatization theory and Hall's encoding/decoding model, the research identifies a significant gap between high visual exposure and low narrative depth. Through the observation of representative TikTok accounts and content categories such as Sichuan Opera, Shu embroidery, and regional folk customs from 2024 to 2026, the findings reveal that while "spectacularized" cultural symbols easily attain viral status, the "deep" cultural meanings are often lost in translation. The study further explores the "Platformization of Heritage," where traditional culture is reformatted to fit digital affordances. To address these issues, the paper proposes a series of optimization strategies: implementing the "Hero's Journey" narrative model to humanize heritage, leveraging AI-driven bilingual translation for better cultural accessibility, and establishing a multi-actor collaborative ecosystem involving individual creators, MCNs, and institutional bodies. This research not only enriches the empirical study of regional culture's global flow but also provides a practical roadmap for enhancing the international influence of Chinese ICH in the digital attention economy.

KEYWORDS

Bashu culture; intangible cultural heritage; TikTok; overseas communication; communication effectiveness

CITE THIS PAPER

Wenhao Xiong, Zhengfen Shui. Evaluating the Overseas Communication Effectiveness of Bashu Intangible Cultural Heritage on TikTok and Optimization Strategies. Media and Communication Research (2026). Vol. 7, No.1, 115-120. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/mediacr.2026.070118.

REFERENCES

[1] UNESCO. Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Paris: UNESCO, 2003.
[2] Smith, L., & Akagawa, N. Intangible Heritage. London: Routledge, 2009, pp.45–62.
[3] Khosrow-Pour, M. Digital media and cultural heritage communication. International Journal of Cultural Studies, Vol.22, No.4, pp.523–538, 2019.
[4] Abidin, C., & Zeng, J. TikTok and the cultural logic of global short video platforms. Social Media + Society, Vol.7, No.3, pp.1–11, 2021.
[5] Zhao, Y., & Huang, S. Digital platforms and Chinese intangible cultural heritage communication. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management, Vol.12, No.2, pp.156–170, 2022.

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