SUSTAINING DA SHUHUA: INTEGRATING INTANGIBLE HERITAGE INTO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN YU COUNTY, CHINA

Abstract

Tourism plays a crucial role in preserving and revitalizing intangible cultural heritage (ICH) while contributing to sustainable economic growth (Maruyama et al., 2015). This paper centers on Da Shuhua, an ancient folk performance in Yu County, China, as a model for integrating ICH into sustainable tourism. By aligning this tradition with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.B, this paper explores the opportunities and challenges of cultural preservation in the face of increasing tourism demand.

In recent decades, the concept of sustainability has gained significant momentum, driven by growing global concerns over resource depletion, environmental degradation, and socio-cultural disruptions (Moren T. Stone et al., 2019). Within the framework of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12—Responsible Consumption and Production—provides a strategic basis for promoting more equitable and efficient ways of producing and consuming goods and services. One of the key sub-goals of SDG 12 is Target 12.B. It calls for the development and implementation of tools to monitor sustainable tourism, ensuring that tourism-related activities contribute to local economies while protecting cultural heritage and the environment (One Planet Network [OPN], n.d.).