When intangible cultural heritage meets modernization–Can Chinese opera with modernized elements attract young festival-goers?

Although festivals centered around intangible cultural heritage (ICH) remain pivotal attractions for tourism destinations, the enduring appeal of Chinese opera experiences a significant decline. This research investigates whether imbuing traditional Chinese opera with modernized elements would attract young festival-goers, applying cognitive appraisal theory. Study 1 utilizing a mixed method generated eight dimensions (i.e., action, costume, lighting, makeup, music, script, story, and venue) and 41 items for measuring modernized attributes of Chinese opera. Study 2, conducted during an immersive Chinese opera festival performing “The Drunken Concubine”, discovered sequential effects of multiple modernized attributes of Chinese opera on perceived novelty, enjoyment, satisfaction and loyalty. Intriguingly, this impact remains robust irrespective of attendees’ subjective knowledge. Study 3 supplements these findings with interpretative evidence derived from interviews and physiological data. The study advances our understanding of how young visitors evaluate modernization of ICH based on hybrid measures and extends the literature on ICH festivals.