The dialectic tension between traffic and norms: content creators’ participation in vernacular architectural heritage restoration — evidence from the Qing-dynasty Jin-style “Shanxi Old Residence”

Abstract

The rapid growth of short-video platforms has transformed vernacular architectural conservation from a professional field into mass public discourse, where online content creators act as vital grassroots practitioners that popularize traditional construction culture through intuitive visual records. This paper selects the restoration project documented by Douyin creator “Shanxi Old House” – a typical Qing-dynasty Jin-style residential complex in Shanxi Province – as its core research case. Relying on more than two consecutive years of complete video archives, the study systematically dissects the building’s layout, full restoration workflow and core traditional craftsmanship. Grounded in living heritage and participatory heritage theories, it explores the practical traits, unique merits and inherent dialectical tensions of creator-led vernacular restoration. The analysis reveals that such short-video records greatly lower cultural access thresholds and boost public recognition of ancient building techniques, while structural defects remain, including insufficient professional site surveys and non-standardized on-site construction. To mitigate these drawbacks, this study proposes targeted optimization strategies covering technical guidance systems, platform content governance and multi-stakeholder coordination, offering practical references for standardized grassroots heritage conservation in the digital era.