Spatial Patterns and Driving Mechanisms of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Pearl River Basin Area

Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is vital for regional cultural sustainability and social cohesion. While ICH patterns in the Yangtze and Yellow River basins have been widely investigated, macro-scale research on the Pearl River Basin Area (PRBA) remains insufficient. Using GIS-based spatial analytical techniques, this study examines the agglomeration patterns and driving mechanisms of 377 national-level ICH resources within the PRBA. The findings reveal that: (1) the spatial distribution exhibits a pronounced “coastal agglomeration and inland dispersion” density gradient, with the Pearl River Delta serving as a high-density core and ethnic minority regions forming secondary clusters; (2) the gravity center of ICH resources has gradually shifted northwestward from 2006 to 2021, reflecting the influence of policy interventions; and (3) while socioeconomic factors are the primary drivers, hydrological factors exert strong nonlinear enhancement effects through interactions with social variables, highlighting the dependency of cultural genesis on the water environment. These findings provide a scientific basis for ICH living transmission, planning, and regional collaborative governance in the PRBA, thereby promoting regional cultural sustainability.