Traveling through time and space.

Chapter 219: Folk Culture Inheritance and Innovative Development of Cultural Companies

After achieving initial success in the digital transformation of his family business, Mu Yang found himself at the crossroads of company development and cultural heritage, and his attention was drawn to folk culture. He understood that folk culture is a national treasure, a carrier of history and memory. However, in the tide of modern society, many folk cultures are facing the risk of being lost. With a sense of mission and accomplishment in preserving and innovating folk culture, Mu Yang decided to lead the cultural company on this meaningful cultural journey.

Mu Yang first arrived at the Folk Culture Village, a quaint place nestled between mountains and rivers. In the distance, rolling hills, shrouded in mist, resemble a landscape painting in light ink. Nearby, a stream gurgles, crystal clear, its bottom visible, while weeping willows sway in the breeze. The village's ancient buildings are arranged in an orderly fashion, and the winding bluestone roads have been carved into the slabs by the passage of time, leaving deep grooves. The villagers lead simple and unpretentious lives, with curls of smoke rising from the farmhouses, permeating the air with the breath of life. Sunlight bathes every corner of the village, painting a scene of tranquility and peace. As soon as Mu Yang stepped out of the car, he was captivated by the scene before him, eager to delve deeper into the local folk culture.

The old village party secretary warmly welcomed Mu Yang with a simple smile on his face, which was as warm as the spring sun: "Mr. Mu, welcome to our village. We are looking forward to someone to sort out the things left by our ancestors and pass them on!" The old party secretary's words were full of love for the culture of his hometown and the desire for inheritance. The strong local accent was full of deep attachment to this land.

Led by the old Party branch secretary, Mu Yang entered the village. Along the way, villagers gathered around, curiously observing the newcomers. Children ran and laughed among the crowd, their eyes gleaming with innocence and curiosity; the elderly, smiling, their eyes filled with memories of days gone by. Mu Yang and his team began their intensive research, visiting every household, talking with villagers and gathering information on folk tales, traditional skills, and folk festivals. A white-haired grandmother sat at a doorway, expertly weaving a bamboo basket. She recounted to Mu Yang the village's long-standing custom of the Qixi Festival, her eyes filled with memories of bygone days.

"In the past, every Chinese Valentine's Day, the girls in the village would get together to show off their needlework skills and pray to the Weaver Girl for dexterity. The scene was so lively! Everyone wore beautiful clothes and brought their carefully crafted embroidery and weaving works. They competed and shared their daily lives." The old lady's narration made Mu Yang feel as if he had traveled through time and space, seeing the lively scenes of the past, and the girls' laughter seemed to still echo in his ears.

However, the research was not entirely smooth sailing. Team member Xiao Li frowned as he reported to Mu Yang, "Mr. Mu, the resources required to inherit and innovate folk culture are too high. For this research alone, the costs of transportation, equipment rental, and small gifts for the villagers have already cost [X] yuan. Furthermore, we're not sure how much market returns these investments will generate. Furthermore, during the exploration of folk cultural resources, we discovered competition and conflicts between different villages and regions. The neighboring village is also collaborating with other cultural companies, and they, too, want to market their own folk culture, which has a certain impact on our resource acquisition and market share. They've already established partnerships with some well-known folk experts, making it difficult for us to invite them."

Mu Yang pondered for a moment and said, "Xiao Li, we can't just look at the immediate investment and returns. The inheritance of folk culture is priceless. We can optimize the use of resources, such as rationally arranging research routes and reducing unnecessary transportation costs. In terms of competition, we must highlight our characteristics and advantages. We deeply explore the historical and cultural value behind folk culture and invite well-known folk experts to interpret it, so that our products have more depth and connotation. We can cooperate with folk research institutions in universities to explore those folk cultural highlights that have not yet received widespread attention and create unique cultural products."

In order to deeply explore the value of folk culture, Mu Yang invited Professor Zhang, a folk expert, to the village. Professor Zhang, dressed in simple clothes and carrying an old cloth bag, immediately got down to work upon arriving in the village. He carefully studied the various materials provided by the villagers, asked questions from time to time, and his eyes revealed his thirst for knowledge and his love for folk culture. Holding a yellowed collection of folk stories, he excitedly said to Mu Yang: "Mr. Mu, the folk culture here is so rich! Every story and every skill contains profound historical and cultural value. For example, this traditional wood carving technique has unique carving techniques and profound patterns, reflecting the lives and beliefs of people at that time. The patterns on these wood carvings are some dragons and phoenixes that symbolize good luck, and some are grains that symbolize a good harvest. They are all the ancestors' yearning for a better life."

After concluding his research at the Folk Culture Village, Mu Yang visited the Folk Culture Creative Studio. It was brimming with creativity and energy. The walls were covered in design sketches, vibrant with colorful lines and imaginative patterns, a treasure trove of ideas. On the tables lay samples of exquisitely crafted cultural and creative products: lamps incorporating traditional paper-cutting art, puzzles themed around folk tales, and notebooks and stationery printed with folk motifs. Designers gathered around, enthusiastically discussing their designs, sparks of inspiration colliding in the air.

"Mr. Mu, we have designed many cultural and creative products based on the folk cultural elements we have collected. Look at this, we have integrated the traditional paper-cutting art into the modern lamp design. When the lights are on, the shadows of the paper-cuts are projected onto the wall, which is magnificent. It not only retains the artistic characteristics of paper-cutting, but also has practicality. And this, we have created an animation based on folk stories, which is currently in production. We hope to attract more young people to understand folk culture through vivid and interesting animation characters and exciting plots." Xiao Wang, the head of the creative studio, introduced the design samples to Mu Yang with excitement in his eyes.

Mu Yang picked up the paper-cut lamp, turned it gently, and looked at the dancing shadows under the light with a satisfied smile on his face. "Very good, these designs are very creative. However, in the marketing of folk cultural and creative products, we also face competition from other cultural and creative products. We need to think about how to make our products stand out. There are currently a wide variety of cultural and creative products on the market, and consumers have many choices. Our products face challenges in terms of price, design, and promotion."

A young designer suggested, "We can strengthen brand building and highlight the uniqueness of folk culture. At the same time, we can leverage social media for promotion and organize online and offline interactive activities to attract more consumer attention. For example, we could launch a folk culture creative collection campaign on social media, inviting netizens to create based on the folk elements we provide. Excellent works will not only receive rewards but also have the opportunity to be developed into authentic cultural and creative products."

Mu Yang nodded in agreement. "This is a great idea. We should make full use of modern technology and communication methods to let more people know about our folk culture and creative products. We can also cooperate with e-commerce platforms to open a special area for folk culture and creative products to expand sales channels."

As folk culture and creative products gradually took shape, Muyang set his sights on folk culture exhibition venues. These spacious and bright spaces were equipped with a full range of modern display equipment. A large LED screen played promotional videos about folk culture, showcasing the production processes of various traditional techniques and the lively scenes of folk festivals. Inside the exhibition hall, smart display cabinets showcased exquisite handicrafts, accompanied by electronic explanation devices, allowing visitors to understand the stories behind each piece. Staff were busy setting up the exhibition, with exquisite folk culture images hanging on the walls and traditional handicrafts neatly arranged, each detail meticulously designed.

The opening ceremony at the Folk Culture Exhibition Hall attracted a large crowd. The scene was bustling with activity, as people, filled with curiosity and anticipation, entered this world of fascinating folk culture. Children excitedly wandered through the various exhibition areas, their eyes sparkling with curiosity; while elderly people, with smiles on their faces, carefully admired each exhibit, sharing their memories and insights with those around them.

"Wow, these folk cultures are so wonderful! I have never known these traditional skills and stories so closely. This paper-cut work is so exquisite, I can't believe it can be cut out with just a pair of scissors." A young audience member said excitedly, holding a mobile phone in his hand and constantly taking pictures of the exhibits.

However, during the exhibition, the conflict between the conservative inheritance concept of traditional folk culture and the requirements of modern innovative culture gradually emerged. Some older folk culture inheritors expressed concerns about the innovative adaptation of folk culture, believing that this would destroy the original flavor of folk culture.

An old artist frowned and said, "These new display forms and creative products may attract young people, but won't they change the works of our ancestors into something unrefined? Our craft has been passed down for generations, and every step and every pattern has its own unique characteristics. If we keep changing it like this, it will lose its original meaning."

Mu Yang patiently explained, "Senior, our innovation is to better inherit folk culture. We have preserved the core value and essence of folk culture, but have used new forms to allow more people to understand and love it. For example, our animation works, through vivid images and interesting plots, have made more young people interested in folk stories, which is also a way of inheritance. During the creative process, we will communicate closely with veteran artists like you to ensure that the connotation of folk culture is not distorted."

Muyang also faces challenges due to the diverse styles of regional folk culture in its integration and innovation, as well as audience preferences for the forms and content of different folk cultural displays. Some audiences prefer lively and cheerful folk performances, while others are more interested in the simple and elegant presentation of traditional handicrafts. Urban audiences may be more interested in interactive presentations, while those from rural areas may yearn for authentic folk performances.

Mu Yang discussed solutions to these problems with his team. They decided to design diverse exhibits and activities tailored to the needs of different audiences. On weekends and holidays, they hosted folk performances, inviting folk artists to perform traditional fare like dragon and lion dances and land boat races to attract more family audiences. On weekdays, they offered in-depth folk culture lectures and handicraft making workshops, inviting folk experts and veteran artists to offer explanations and guidance, catering to audiences interested in in-depth research on folk culture. They also designed specialized exhibition areas tailored to the characteristics of different regional folk cultures, allowing visitors to more directly experience the charm of these diverse folk cultures.

Over time, the popularity of folk culture exhibition venues has grown, attracting more and more visitors. Folk culture creative products have also been well received in the market, with sales continuing to rise. Many tourists purchase some cultural and creative products as souvenirs after visiting the exhibition venues, taking a piece of folk culture home with them.

"I feel extremely happy to see that folk culture has been inherited and is welcomed by the public. I am full of confidence in the continued prosperity and development of folk culture. We must continue to work hard, constantly explore and innovate, so that folk culture can shine more brightly in the new era. In the future, we must explore more ways of inheritance and innovation, cooperate with more regions and institutions, and let folk culture move to a broader stage." Mu Yang said with emotion at the summary meeting of the folk culture exhibition venue. His words inspired every team member to continue to work hard for the inheritance and innovation of folk culture.

In the days to come, Mu Yang will continue to lead the cultural company to continuously explore and advance on the path of folk culture inheritance and innovation, so that traditional folk culture and modern creative culture can be deeply integrated and contribute more to the prosperity and development of culture.