Spatial Pattern and Influencing Factors of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Yellow River-adjacent Region of Henan Province

Henan Province is located in the hinterland of the Yellow River Basin and serves as a crucial birthplace and carrier of Chinese civilization. Taking ten cities including Zhengzhou as the research area and focusing on 72 national-level Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) items within the region, this Research systematically analyzes their spatial distribution pattern using tools such as ArcGIS. The results show that: (1) In terms of spatial distribution, the ICH items in the research area present an agglomeration pattern of "Four Great Ancient Capitals + Jiaozuo and Puyang", which is closely linked to the profound historical and cultural heritage of the Four Great Ancient Capitals. Different types of ICH exhibit varying degrees of agglomeration in different regions, among which the performing arts category has the highest correlation with the overall agglomeration of ICH in the research area, showing the most similar distribution. Luoyang is a hotspot for all five major categories of ICH and a representative of ICH in ancient capitals. Traditional opera and traditional fine arts have the widest distribution, covering 7 out of the 10 cities in the Yellow River-adjacent areas. (2) Regarding influencing factors, geographical environment is a key factor affecting the distribution of ICH in the research area, with ICH mostly concentrated in the central and eastern plains. Humanistic history and socio-economic conditions directly influence the formation of ICH resources as well as the application and protection of ICH items.