TITLE:
The Symbolic Activation of Cultural Memory: A Study on the Path of Value Reconstruction of Yunjin Intangible Cultural Heritage in Contemporary Society
AUTHORS:
Xiaowen Fu, Yan Wu
KEYWORDS:
Nanjing Yunjin Intangible Cultural Heritage, Cultural Memory, Semiotics, Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritance
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.4,
April
14,
2026
ABSTRACT: As one of the Masterpieces of Human Intangible Cultural Heritage, Nanjing Yunjin brocade holds significant meaning and value, making its living inheritance in the contemporary era particularly important. Originating in the Eastern Jin dynasty, Yunjin gradually rose to prominence and flourished during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, becoming a royal tribute item. Renowned as “an inch of brocade worth an inch of gold”, it served as the primary attire for royalty and nobility across successive dynasties, symbolizing supreme glory. As an emblem of status and prestige, Yunjin embodies over two thousand years of Chinese cultural memory. However, in the present day, the inheritance and dissemination of Yunjin face considerable challenges. Modern lifestyles and aesthetic sensibilities have undergone profound transformations, leading to a diminished sense of identification with Yunjin and a general unfamiliarity with its cultural and aesthetic value. Therefore, it is essential to symbolically activate the cultural memory of Yunjin. Drawing on Jan Assmann and Aleida Assmann’s theories of cultural memory as well as Jean Baudrillard’s semiotic theory, this paper explores how Nanjing Yunjin can be reactivated in contemporary society by transforming its traditional cultural symbols into modern ones. Based on a review of existing literature, it examines Yunjin’s symbolic system, the challenges to its inheritance, and the reconstruction of its value. The central argument of this paper is that the living inheritance of Yunjin can be realized through three pathways of creative transformation: high-end consumption, historical-preservation as cultural vessels, and youth-oriented “national chic” dissemination.