(Photo credit: The Yangtse Evening Post)

Under the auspices of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, online video-sharing platform Douyin organized a workshop on July 26 in Nanjing for livestreamers involved in showcasing intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items.

Data by May this year showed that Douyin was home to 19,000 livestreaming focusing on ICH-related content, and the number of those receiving tips increased by 53% year-on-year. Douyin now boasts 116 verified ICH inheritors under 30 years old, who serve as primary content creators in the platform's ICH category.

Notably, one out of every 16 ICH streaming hosts across China is from Jiangsu Province. As of June, the province's ICH livestreamers had hosted 1.24 million sessions on Douyin and their 20.7 million ICH videos received an impressive 2.4 billion likes.

Numerous Douyin users have supported the development of traditional culture by tipping content creators. Xu Jingjing, a representative of Douyin's livestreaming business unit, said that 71% of Jiangsu's ICH streaming hosts have earned income from their shows, with a 52% year-on-year increase in tipping amounts. The top five programs receiving tips include Huai Opera, Kunqu Opera, Suzhou Pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing in the Suzhou dialect), Yang Opera (named after Yangzhou City), and Xi Opera (named after Wuxi City).

Zheng Mingqiu, a livestreamer of Suzhou Pingtan, said that her single video had reached a peak of 1.14 million views and attracted over 10,000 simultaneous viewers.

"The live broadcast allows more people to understand and love Suzhou Pingtan, while the audience's tips and praises also motivate us to better inherit and innovate the unique art form," Zheng said.