10.1186/s40494-023-00862-2

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, with the capital Beijing as the core, carries a profound geo-culture and gathers numerous intangible cultural heritages. Studying the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of intangible cultural heritage can help to propose positive suggestions for protection and development from the perspective of sustainable development. Taking 329 national intangible cultural heritages in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei as the research objects, and using ArcGIS spatial analysis technology, combined with methods such as kernel density analysis, standard deviation ellipse and geographical detector, to visualize the spatial distribution of intangible cultural heritages and explore the influencing factors of their distribution. The results show that: (1) the distribution of intangible cultural heritage in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei is not balanced, mainly concentrated in the central and southern regions, and three high-density core circles are formed in Beijing, Tianjin, and Handan-Xingtai in Hebei Province, showing large differences in spatial distribution density; (2) Traditional techniques, traditional arts, dramatic balladry, sports, music, and medicine show the characteristics of aggregated distribution. folkways, dance, and drama show the characteristics of random distribution. Folk literature shows the characteristics of uniform distribution; (3) The Cultural Development Period is an important evolutionary turning point in the spatial and temporal distribution of intangible cultural heritage in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, as well as an accelerating period in the development of intangible cultural heritage, and completes the transformation from decentralized distribution to localized aggregation distribution. In The Period of Regional Cultural Integration, the peak value is reached; (4) Economic development and social culture have the greatest influence on the spatial distribution of intangible cultural heritage in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, while the influence of physical environment is relatively small.