TY - JOUR KW - community KW - Wushu Intangible Cultural Heritage KW - folk martial arts KW - menhu AU - H. Zhang AB - This paper discusses the role of the menhu in the protection of Wushu Intangible Cultural Heritage (WICH) and the possibility of developing it as part of WICH community, based on the analysis of the concepts of community in sociological theory, community in the Convention of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Menhu members master skills and enact their inheritance and reproduction for a long time and have a stable and continuous sense of identity in their inherited skills and cultural identity, thus constructing them as a cultural community. Menhu members always actively participate in the recognition, protection, and inheritance of WICH. However, due to the unclear identification of community entities and the criticism of the menhu as a negative culture in folk martial arts, its status and value have not been recognised in the protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), and the identity of its community entity has not been clarified. This paper argues that respecting the complexity of folk martial arts cultures, and establishing a community recognition system that aligns with the realities of WICH, expressing approval and emphasising the subjectivity of the menhu is of practical significance for ensuring the continuous inheritance and dissemination of WICH. ©, Haoyan Zhang. DO - 10.1080/13527258.2023.2281769 N2 - This paper discusses the role of the menhu in the protection of Wushu Intangible Cultural Heritage (WICH) and the possibility of developing it as part of WICH community, based on the analysis of the concepts of community in sociological theory, community in the Convention of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Menhu members master skills and enact their inheritance and reproduction for a long time and have a stable and continuous sense of identity in their inherited skills and cultural identity, thus constructing them as a cultural community. Menhu members always actively participate in the recognition, protection, and inheritance of WICH. However, due to the unclear identification of community entities and the criticism of the menhu as a negative culture in folk martial arts, its status and value have not been recognised in the protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), and the identity of its community entity has not been clarified. This paper argues that respecting the complexity of folk martial arts cultures, and establishing a community recognition system that aligns with the realities of WICH, expressing approval and emphasising the subjectivity of the menhu is of practical significance for ensuring the continuous inheritance and dissemination of WICH. ©, Haoyan Zhang. TI - Recognising menhu as a community within Wushu Intangible Cultural Heritage UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85177080111&doi=10.1080%2f13527258.2023.2281769&partnerID=40&md5=503a285d908dde5ed43f7cc34fda5851 ER -