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Between Culture and the Market
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Abstract:
Against the backdrop of the national strategy to build a cultural powerhouse and the rural revitalization initiative, Qiang embroidery—a national-level intangible cultural heritage—faces challenges such as a generational gap in transmission, product homogenization, and difficulties in industrial transformation. This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Technology Acceptance Model, and Social Capital Theory to construct an analytical framework of “synergistic transformation of cultural capital”. Through 244 valid questionnaires and in-depth interviews, and utilizing a multinomial logit model and heterogeneity tests, the study empirically analyzes the development pathways of Qiang embroidery from a consumer perspective. Research Findings: (1) Reasonable pricing and unique cultural significance are the core factors driving consumer choice of Qiang embroidery, constituting its fundamental competitive advantage and differentiation barrier against rivals such as Suzhou embroidery and Shu embroidery. (2) Collaborative fashion strategies are primarily effective within the context of ethnic minority embroidery products. (3) Travel photography experiences currently exhibit “negative asset” characteristics, inhibiting consumer choice. (4) Digital products currently do not significantly drive sales; their value is more evident in the areas of heritage preservation and knowledge management. Heterogeneity analysis indicates significant differences in decision-making mechanisms across different regions, age groups, and income levels. Based on this, this paper proposes a “product-digital-cultural tourism” non-equilibrium synergy pathway: in the short term, focus on products by implementing price anchoring and cultural differentiation strategies; the digital dimension should serve as infrastructure for heritage transmission and cognitive cultivation; and the cultural tourism dimension must prioritize service standardization and experience upgrades to reverse negative effects. This study provides empirical evidence and precise strategies for the revitalization and transmission of Qiang embroidery, while also offering theoretical references for the industrialization of similar intangible cultural heritage sectors, thereby promoting a win-win outcome of cultural transmission and industrial development.
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