Where Lies the Way Forward for Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation?

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has vigorously advocated the promotion of China’s fine traditional culture and has emphasized and elaborated on the “creative transformation and innovative development” of such culture.

Moreover, in the report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, “creative transformation and innovative development” was “formally incorporated into the Party’s authoritative documents,” thereby becoming the third programmatic guiding principle of Chinese Marxist literary and artistic theory—following the Party’s “two serves” and “double hundred” policies—and representing a major theoretical leap in the CPC’s leadership over the ideological and cultural construction under socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The General Secretary pointed out:

Creative transformation entails adapting those elements that remain relevant and instructive today—while discarding outdated forms of expression—to the characteristics and demands of the contemporary era, imbuing them with new contemporary significance and modern modes of articulation, thereby revitalizing their vitality.

Innovative development entails supplementing, expanding, and refining the essence of China’s fine traditional culture in light of new advances and developments of the times, thereby enhancing its influence and appeal.

Adopt the principles and norms of our ancestors to forge a new path for ourselves, thereby achieving the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese culture.

The “Pingle Guo School of Orthopedic Manipulation,” recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage and an integral part of China’s fine traditional culture, has undergone 230 years of evolution and refinement. With the support and encouragement of national policies, it has adapted to the times, continuously explored new approaches, and engaged in ongoing practice, striving to pursue a path of “creative transformation and innovative development” that is fully aligned with its unique cultural characteristics.

Putting people first and prioritizing healing. The dynamic, living nature of intangible cultural heritage underscores that its creative transformation must put people first—arising from and tailored to individual needs—and ultimately return to the practical realities of everyday life. For intangible cultural heritage in the field of traditional medicine, its very essence lies in healing and restoring human health and balance; therefore, the primary prerequisite for the transformation and development of the Pingle Guo School of Orthopedics as an element of intangible cultural heritage is to be people-centered and to prioritize healing above all else.

In contemporary society, culture needs branding, promotion, and tangible implementation. While pure literature and art-oriented cultural forms may appeal only to a select few, intangible cultural heritage is targeted at specific audiences and carries the vital mission of transmission; it takes cultural essence as its foundation and ideological principles as its soul, with external manifestations that ensure its survival and dissemination. For intangible cultural heritage to thrive, brand-building is essential: on the one hand, it helps establish clear identity and safeguards against unscrupulous opportunists who exploit the name of culture for profit; on the other hand, it ensures that this heritage becomes better known and more deeply cherished by a wider public, thereby fostering its continued vitality and promotion.

Today, the internet stands as the most vital platform for public outreach and promotion. In light of this, Guo Jiayi, the eighth-generation inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Pingle Guo’s Orthopedic Manipulation, has bravely taken on the mission of preserving and promoting this legacy by leveraging the digital realm as a conduit for its transmission. Grounded in the cultural ethos of “correcting bones to correct people, and cultivating oneself to cultivate the heart,” her efforts span from the compassionate spirit of healers and traditional Chinese medicine-based wellness practices to specific orthopedic conditions and exemplary rehabilitation cases—all aimed at presenting an authentic, trustworthy, and reliable portrayal of “Pingle Guo’s Orthopedic Manipulation.”

In the future, for the national-level intangible cultural heritage “Pingle Guo’s Orthopedic Manipulation Technique,” please look to the Guo Jiayi team.

In addition to public outreach, the intangible cultural heritage of Pingle Guo’s Orthopedic Manipulation actively engages in social welfare initiatives, putting into practice the inheritance principle of “drawing from the people and returning to the people.” Since mid-April, the free clinic program has successfully held six sessions, each tailored to specific target groups and offering professional, essential, and practical medical and health services that have been widely praised. Today, the free clinic has become a regular feature of the Pingle Guo’s Orthopedic Manipulation tradition, with the hope that more people will learn about this initiative and benefit from it.

Looking ahead, in order to help more people practice evidence-based bone care and enable more patients with bone injuries to achieve healing, the intangible cultural heritage of Pingle Guo’s Bone-Setting will establish a national bone-health association. This initiative will bring together individuals who are committed to bone health, fostering collaborative learning and structured, organized daily bone-care practices. Additionally, it will cultivate a larger pool of volunteers to carry out public-service activities focused on bone health, thereby providing solid, practical protection for the bone health of contemporary individuals.

The Guo School of Bone-Setting in Pingle fully recognizes that the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage is inseparable from broad public participation. Therefore, it strives to increase public awareness of bone health and to disseminate knowledge about bone health.

The path of inheriting intangible cultural heritage continues to be explored and refined. At PingLe Guo’s Bone-Setting, we firmly believe that the broader this path becomes, the more people will benefit. This is both our source of strength and our unwavering confidence.

The future is on the horizon—let’s wait and see.