From the Women s Script Tradition to the Octagonal Flower Dance Extravaganza in Jiangyong, China: Cultural Shows as Local ICH Solutions

As part of an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) program for developing regional cultural economies, the motif of the octagonal flower has been converted into a symbol of a tradition and is used as a branding device. This article contends that, as heritage intervention passes from government to locals, this re-branded women s script culture becomes a tradition in its own right. Local traditions should be examined without limiting notions of authenticity, in order to understand ICH in China as it develops within a period of radical social change.