Social network and place: The inheritance and development of Beijing crosstalk performing art

Abstract

In order to protect the traditional performing arts, we need to analyze the factors that sustain its inheritance and development. Some of the factors are embedded in the place. This paper takes Beijing Crosstalk as an example to explore its relationship with the place Beijing. The authors interviewed and surveyed the crosstalk performers, and analyzed data of crosstalk performers from the Sina Weibo social media platform. The study found that Beijing crosstalk can be particularly successful because there are three levels of social networks embedded in Beijing: The first is the mentor-apprentice relationship within the crosstalk group. The second is communication with other performing groups or performers (such as other crosstalk groups, performers from opera, drama, etc.) in Beijing. The third is their cooperating relationship with the media. These three networks are not available in any other cities of China, which is the key to the inheritance and development of Beijing crosstalk as intangible cultural heritage. Therefore, the protection and transmission of local intangible cultural heritage needs not only to protect the intangible cultural heritage itself, but also to protect its related social networks and social resources that make up such networks.