Echoing Nature: Pioneering New Media Forms to Intertwine Local Folk Songs with Biodiversity Narratives

This interdisciplinary project aims to promote sustainable development through the interweaving of biodiversity and folk songs. Utilizing new media technologies, the project targets a wide audience interested in traditional folk culture and modernization. Through an abductive approach, including literature review, product case study, and fieldwork, the project collects and interprets data on ethnical customs and local biodiversity. The next steps involve rethinking the focus of biodiversity in folk songs collected, transitioning the focus to traditional culture, and adding a comparison of Beichuan’s approach to cultural preservation. Overall, the project seeks to deeply embed the concept of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature in people’s hearts.

Zhouyuan Chen (Duke Kunshan University), 2026

Hanyang Zhou (Duke Kunshan University), 2026

Huiqiao Yuan (Duke Kunshan University), 2027

Jingyang Lin (Duke Kunshan University), 2026

The interdisciplinary project applies an abductive approach to collect basic knowledge, interpret field data, and develop product designs.

Phase 1:

• Literature review: biodiversity, new media, and folk music.
• Product case study: immersive games, species cards, and interactive exhibitions.

Phase 2: Fieldwork in Wolong and Beichuan (10 days):

• Field observations: Ethical wedding, Pig killing, Religious local temples, etc.
• Semi-structured interviews with around 50 locals: tradition specialists, farmers, local retailers etc.

Catching a thread of folksongs, we unfolded locals’ variant perspectives towards traditions, critically raising consciousness about the disparity with outsiders’ perceptions.

Navigating the sounds of nature, we observed how intensive nature preservations reshaped locals’ understanding and interactions with the environment.

Our on-hand research abductively deepened our project themes, with the contradictions and impasses that we have encountered in the fields.

In the data collection process at Wolong Nature Reserve, members employed anthropological methodology and professional equipment, such as cameras, recorders, and supporting tools, to gather a comprehensive range of information from four ethnical villages. The focus of the research encompassed ethnical customs and local biodiversity, with interviews conducted among local residents and government staff. Following the data collection, a substantial amount of audio, video, and image resources were amassed locally within the reserve, serving as valuable first-hand materials for the project.

To view more related outcomes, please click on the link. (Viewable only by DKU community)

Rethinking the focus of biodiversity: in the folk songs collected, we did not see a strong relation between folk songs and biodiversity. We may need to reconsider the fisibility of the original plan and find another theme.

Transitioning the focus to traditional culture: through filed research, we developed the interest for the delimma of traditional culture preservation in modernization. Our prodct may try to discuss more about cultural aspects.

Adding comparison of Beichuan: in Beichuan, we observed a commercialized way to preserve local Qiang culture by developing tourism. We want to compare the status of traditional culture in Wolong and Beichuan to further demonstrate the complexity of culture preservation.

The “Laotu Culture” of Yantian District, Shenzhen, is a social enterprise leading in promoting green lifestyles and is dedicated to providing innovative sustainable development solutions for China and the world. Laotu was incubated at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2016. It is committed to precisely supporting the development of ecological conservation areas, advancing sustainable agricultural development with its professional knowledge and product chain on ecological small farming. At the same time, Laotu also establishes original cultural education, promotion, eco-tourism, and environmental public welfare projects. While telling the stories of rural China, Laotu delves deep to discover and offer quality local ecological products and life experiences.

They aim to bridge the natural, cultural, and economic resources of urban and rural areas, promote dialogue between the two, and ground their efforts in environmentalism. Their goal is to inspire more young people to devote themselves to rural revitalization, improve the ecological, economic, and cultural inheritance of China’s countryside, leverage the power of local rural communities, revitalize and promote local culture, and thereby advance the sustainable development of China’s rural areas and urban-rural relations. Laotu has been active in places such as the Wolong National Nature Reserve, Xuebaoding National Nature Reserve, and the Source of Three Rivers. They have considerable experience in promoting habitat protection, ecological agriculture, local cultural inheritance, and interactive education between cities and the countryside.