Management Mechanism for Safeguarding of Musical Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors in Hunan, China

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the status of the protection and management mechanism for inheritors of musical intangible cultural heritage in Hunan Province, China. Research design, data and methodology: This was a mixed method research. In the quantitative research part, questionnaire was used as instrument. The four dimensions of situation (living condition, professional skills, social status, and the government's support) are used to explore the relative importance of musical intangible cultural heritage to inheritors in addition to inheritors satisfaction and how inheritors satisfaction influences their behavioral intention. This part surveys 300 practitioners in the field of music intangible cultural heritage in Hunan. In the part of qualitative research, nine questions were used to conduct in-depth interviews with 10 managers of music intangible cultural heritage through semi-structured interviews. Results and Conclusions: The results indicate that three of four living situation dimensions, including Professional skills, Social status, and Government's support, influence inheritors satisfaction and inheritors satisfaction influence in behavioral intention