An Exploration into the Development of Cultural Heritage Research from an East Asian Regional Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62051/0grrs056Keywords:
East Asian Perspective; Cultural Heritage Research; Protection Practice; Regional Cooperation; Digital Transformation.Abstract
Long-standing cultural exchanges rooted in Confucian civilization have left China, Japan and the ROK abundant homologous tangible and intangible cultural heritage. This focuses on East Asia to sort out research progress and facilitate regional collaborative protection. Based on the 2024 UNESCO heritage data and the annual bulletins of the cultural and museum departments of China, Japan, and South Korea, this study selected literature from CNKI, J-STAGE, and RISS databases from 2004 to 2024 and conducted a comparative analysis using literature statistics. According to statistics, the three countries own 94 world cultural & mixed heritage sites and 90 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage inscriptions, ranking top across the Asia-Pacific region; Over the past two decades, academic research has shifted beyond mere textual research on ancient buildings, and more and more scholars are focusing on practical content such as digital filing and active operation of intangible cultural heritage. The differences in protection standards among countries, difficulties in obtaining evidence of cross-border intangible cultural heritage, and imbalances in the allocation of grassroots scientific research resources restrict the advancement of cross-national research. This article summarizes the achievements and existing shortcomings from five research dimensions, including historical tracing and national practices.
Downloads
References
[1] Brumann, C., & Gfeller, A. É. (2022). Cultural landscapes and the UNESCO World Heritage List: perpetuating European dominance. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 28(2), 147–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766813.2021.1999463 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2021.1941197
[2] Scott, G. R. (2003). The cultural property laws of Japan: Social, political, and legal influences. Pacific Rim Law & Policy Journal, 12, 315.
[3] Akagawa, N. (2014). Heritage Conservation and Japan's Cultural Diplomacy: Heritage, National Identity and National Interest. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315796143 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315886664
[4] Chung, S. J. (2005). East Asian values in historic conservation. Journal of Architectural Conservation, 11(1), 55–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/13556207.2005.10784343 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13556207.2005.10784935
[5] Aikawa-Faure, N. (2014). Excellence and authenticity: Living National (Human) Treasures in Japan and Korea. Advisory Committee, 37.
[6] Bi, W., Yan, Z., Zhang, Z., Yao, S., Zhang, J., & Wang, X. (2021). Modeling and numerical simulation of heat and mass transfer in the cave wall of the Mogao Grottoes in China. Building and Environment, 201, 108003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108003
[7] Lian, Y., & Xie, J. (2024). The evolution of digital cultural heritage research: Identifying key trends, hotspots, and challenges through bibliometric analysis. Sustainability, 16(16), 7125. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167125 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167125
[8] Nakano, R., & Zhu, Y. (2020). Heritage as soft power: Japan and China in international politics. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 26(7), 869–881. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2019.1677248 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2020.1845322
[9] Meskell, L. (2013). UNESCO and the fate of the World Heritage Indigenous Peoples Council of Experts (WHIPCOE). International Journal of Cultural Property, 20(2), 155–174. https://doi.org/10.1017/S094073911300007X DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0940739113000039
[10] Liu, X., Dong, F., Shui, W., & Geng, G. (2025). Blockchain in digital cultural heritage resources: technological integration, consensus mechanisms, and future directions. npj Heritage Science, 13(1), 235. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43585-025-00342-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-01818-4
[11] Laohaviraphap, N., & Waroonkun, T. (2024). Integrating artificial intelligence and the internet of things in cultural heritage preservation: A systematic review of risk management and environmental monitoring strategies. Buildings, 14(12), 3979. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14123979 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14123979
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Transactions on Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
