The Conservation of the Dynamic Spatiality of Raonan Ancient Village: A Participatory Approach to Dynamic Community Governance through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration

Abstract

Raonan Village in Fuliang County, Jingdezhen City, is a cultural heritage site with a long-standing history associated with the ceramic industry. However, the village is currently facing challenges such as labor migration, population decline, and the erosion of local traditions, leading to the risk of losing both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Therefore, it is essential to establish a community management approach that balances cultural preservation with sustainable development. This study aims to examine the participatory dynamic community management process through a multi-stakeholder collaboration model in Raonan Village, with the objective of developing sustainable strategies for cultural heritage conservation. A qualitative research methodology was employed, incorporating document analysis, in-depth interviews, and field observations to investigate the roles of stakeholders in the conservation process. The findings reveal that the participatory dynamic community management model in Raonan Village is based on the principle of “community-led, academia-supported, villager-driven, and socially-coordinated” governance. This flexible and inclusive mechanism stimulates internal vitality, revitalizes cultural heritage, and creates a balanced integration between conservation and local economic development. The proposed model can serve as a reference framework for managing other traditional villages, enabling the living transmission of cultural heritage and promoting rural revitalization through sustainable heritage-based development.