Abstract
Folk art constitutes a vital repository of Chinese cultural memory, vernacular aesthetics, and traditional craftsmanship; however, its social foundations have been progressively affected by rapid urbanization and technological change, and fundamental transformations in everyday life. Situated within the national policy framework advocating the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, this article investigates the potential of youth subculture to catalyze the contemporary revitalization of folk art. Drawing upon theoretical perspectives from youth subculture and post-subculture studies, the research systematically analyzes the structural affinities between folk art and youth culture across four dimensions: symbolic expression, identity construction, authenticity negotiation, and participatory communication. The study further examines current revitalization practices through illustrative cases including Yangxin cloth appliqué, youth-led short-video production, livestreaming initiatives, cultural and creative product development, and AI-assisted design processes. The analysis identifies two principal challenges confronting this intersection: the discontinuity of traditional inheritor communities and the widening divergence between conventional folk aesthetics and contemporary youth cultural preferences. To address these challenges, the article proposes four strategic pathways: adapting folk art expressions to youth aesthetics while safeguarding cultural essence, cultivating participatory communities via youth-oriented digital platforms, leveraging artificial intelligence and immersive technologies to broaden preservation and communication modalities, and strengthening cross-cultural exchange aligned with young people's aspirations for participation, identity formation, and self-expression. Through these pathways, youth are reconceptualized not merely as passive recipients of tradition but as active agents driving its reinterpretation and sustainable renewal.