02485nas a2200181   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002653003200043653004800075653003300123653002800156100001100184700001500195245011900210300001200329490000700341520195500348                                       d10aConghua Cat Head Lion Dance10aThe Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning10ainheritance and preservation10aprinciples of animation1 aD. Fei1 aS.-C. Wong00aDevelopment of a Conghua Cat Head Lion Dance Animation as a Catalyst for Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation  a427-4430 v243 aConghua Cat Head Lion Dance (CHLD) is a traditional dance art that faces challenges in inheritance and education. Animation is engaging and emotionally resonant, naturally appealing to the younger generation, making it a tool that scholars recommend for the preservation of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). This study employs animation as a catalyst to promote and preserve the art of CHLD among the younger Chinese generation by raising their awareness of it. This study was divided into three stages. In the first stage, a field investigation was conducted at the ancestral hall in Guangdong Province, China. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were held with four purposively selected inheritors to collect qualitative data. The application of thematic analysis revealed four distinctive elements that could be incorporated into the animation: (1) characters, (2) patterns and costumes, (3) props, and (4) performance techniques. In the second stage, an animation was created by incorporating CHLD elements, following The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer \& Moreno, 1999) and The Animation and Design Principles for Instructional Animation (Betrancourt, 2005). In the third stage, a self-administered survey questionnaire was used to examine whether the CHLD animation had the potential to increase the awareness of CHLD culture preservation among a randomly selected group of 181 students from Guangzhou City Construction College and Guangdong Polytechnic. More than 75\% of the respondents expressed positive views of the created CHLD animation. The study’s findings and the created animation reaffirmed the effectiveness of using digital media to preserve and promote CHLD culture, especially among China’s younger generation. This also offers a valuable reference for similar studies contributing to the sustainable development of ICH in the Chinese context. © 2024, Universitas Negeri Semarang. All rights reserved.