Construction of a Knowledge-Based Database for the Intangible Cultural Heritage Shui Script: A Perspective from Oral Histories with Shui Script Masters

Shui folk traditions and cultural activities cannot exist independently of Shui script masters. Script masters are like the living treasure houses, the inheritors, and the disseminators of the traditional culture of the Shui people. Oral history is one of the most effective carriers for the inheritance of the Shui people’s traditional culture as it is composed of the Shui script masters’ personal memories and tacit knowledge. Script masters play an indispensable role in the protection, inheritance, and development of the Shui script’s intangible cultural heritage. Due to the small number and high age of the Shui script master community and the limitations of the preservation method of the script, the Shui script is facing a crisis. It is urgent to explore new methods and approaches for passing the Shui script down to the next generation. This research explores the construction of a knowledge base of the Shui script, using script masters’ oral histories as the main source, to integrate it with related cultural heritage resources and adopt a more optimized method of organization. The platform and utility of the knowledge base builds a digital Shui script resource system and promotes the open use and protection of the Shui script.