The Folk Murals in Pingnan County of Guangxi: Protection and Inheritance for Cultural Heritage

Abstract

          The folk murals in Pingnan County, Guangxi, play an important role in local economic development and rural revitalization. Due to natural threats and insufficient protection, the murals are facing a crisis. This study proposes two goals:(1)To study the current situations and problems of folk murals in Pingnan County, Guangxi;(2)To study the protection and inheritance of folk murals in Pingnan County, Guangxi.The study sample consisted of 7 key informants,15 practice informants and 20 general informants.This paper adopts a qualitative research method, through literature survey, field investigation, in-depth interviews, and combined with tools such as interview outlines to collect data, and finally proposes strategies for protection and inheritance through focus group discussions. The results of this study are as follows: (1)The number of murals has decreased sharply due to challenges such as natural environmental erosion,funding shortages,cultural changes,conflicts between innovation and tradition,infiltration of secular tastes, and urban demolition.(2)This study proposes a comprehensive strategy for protecting murals, including anti-aging treatment, repair of diseases, enhancing cultural identity, developing mural tourism and derivatives, using digital technology, and recording and evaluating cultural heritage.Compared with previous studies, the protection and inheritance strategies proposed in this study are more comprehensive and systematic, forming an all-round protection and inheritance system.The results of this study have certain reference value for the protection and inheritance of murals in Guangxi, Guangdong,Hainan and other regions, as well as for the formulation of policies by local governments.