Hybrid Translation of Miao Butterfly Patterns for Cultural Preservation and Innovation in the Era of Globalization

Abstract

This study investigates the hybrid translation of Miao butterfly motifs in the context of globalization and cultural innovation, with fieldwork conducted in Kaili, Guizhou where the “Butterfly Mother” mythology and related craft traditions remain active. The butterfly motif, rooted in ancestral narratives and ecological cosmology, functions as both a visual emblem and a vessel of emotional meaning, symbolizing blessing, transformation, maternal protection, and spiritual continuity. Women play a central role in its intergenerational transmission, embedding symbolic and emotional layers into embroidery, batik, and silverwork. Adopting a qualitative mixed-methods approach combining literature review, ethnographic interviews, visual-semiotic analysis, and case studies. This research examines how the motif can be reinterpreted without losing its symbolic integrity. The findings reveal that 1) emotional encoding and 2) gendered craft knowledge are central mechanisms for maintaining cultural authenticity during reinterpretation, and that 3) “controlled adaptation” enables cross-media innovation while preserving recognizability and symbolic constraints. The study proposes a hybrid translation model linking cultural origin, gendered transmission, and emotional meaning with controlled visual adaptation and cross-media innovation. Overall, the study concludes that sustainable innovation is achievable when contemporary redesign is anchored in cultural evidence and transmitted craft logic rather than treating the motif as detachable decoration. Theoretically, this model advances cultural semiotics research by integrating gendered heritage transmission with emotional encoding theory, offering a structured framework for analyzing and recontextualizing intangible symbols. Practically, it provides design strategies for sustainable heritage-based innovation, including participatory co-creation, media-adaptive visual preservation, and emotionally resonant product storytelling. By synthesizing these contributions, the study clarifies both the academic and applied value of hybrid translation as an operational pathway for cultural preservation and innovation under globalization. The results offer insights not only for Chinese ethnic heritage revitalization but also for cross-cultural design practices across Southeast Asia and the global creative industries.