The exploration of New Directions for the Continuation of Chinese Traditional Culture: Focusing on the Field of Visual Communication Design

: The current era is one in pursuit of technological development, where informatization and digitalization have become areas of significant interest. Meanwhile, traditional culture is facing the danger of being eliminated and forgotten, and the protection of cultural heritage has emerged as a global issue. As a country with a long history and splendid culture, China's traditional culture possesses unique charm and value. Therefore, promoting Chinese traditional culture is not only an expression of cultural confidence but also an effort to maintain and promote cultural diversity. This paper aims to analyze the role and influence of Chinese traditional culture within visual communication design, and through theoretical perspectives and numerous case studies, the current development status is examined, and future trends are speculated. The content includes the integration of digitalization and traditional culture, the blending of traditional and modern elements, and the importance of cross-cultural communication and cooperation. This study will provide an important reference for the innovation and development of Chinese traditional culture in the field of visual communication.


Introduction
Chinese traditional culture, with a history stretching back five millennia, embodies unique ideological concepts, artistic forms, and aesthetic values.With the advancement of globalization and technology, Chinese traditional culture has received wide attention and application in various fields (architecture, painting, sculpture, ceramics, calligraphy, music, dance, opera, etc.).In contemporary society, the inheritance and innovation of traditional culture have become an important topic, and visual communication design, as a significant medium of communication, often has the mission to clearly express and transmit the connotations of various traditional cultures through rich symbols, signs, and aesthetics.
The characteristics and values of Chinese traditional culture in the field of visual communication design can be summarized in three aspects: the transmission of philosophical thought, the manifestation of artistic forms, and the influence of aesthetic concepts.The transmission of philosophical thought is usually dominated by symbolic artistic forms, emphasizing the application of formal beauty rules, that is, echoing philosophical values in visual design, showing the natural and intrinsic beauty of traditional culture.This method can integrate the virtual and the illusion to deepen the resonance at the spiritual level of the viewers, guiding the audience to actively think about various philosophical issues [1] .Artistic forms can embody the charm and unique connotation of traditional culture through calligraphy, typeface design, pattern design, etc.The combination of text and visual elements can create unique and rhythmic beauty in form and symbolic meaning.Pattern design's most common symbols, such as dragons, phoenixes, and qilins, which represent auspicious or beautiful metaphorical forms, are widely used in brand, packaging, advertising, and other designs, conveying a wealth of traditional cultural connotations and commercial values.The aesthetic concept of traditional culture is mainly displayed in the pursuit of connotation and artistic conception, balance and harmony, the development of nature and ecology, and the awareness of time and history, demonstrating the thoughtfulness, artistry, values, harmony with nature, and respect and inheritance of traditional culture in the works.

Current Status of Chinese Traditional Culture in the Field of Visual Communication
In the field of graphic design, methods such as posters, picture albums, and logos are primarily used.Art forms of Chinese traditional culture, such as paper-cutting, Chinese painting, calligraphy, and seal carving, are frequently incorporated into graphic design.The use of traditional artistic elements, such as lines, brush strokes, and composition methods, endows the graphic design with a strong cultural atmosphere and oriental charm.Currently, graphic designs about Chinese traditional culture often incorporate patterns of dragons, phoenixes, landscapes, flowers, and birds, along with traditional Chinese color systems.These layered and visually striking works can imbue products with unique cultural value.
Chinese traditional culture, as the primary cultural source in China, can better stimulate consumers' emotional needs.In recent years, it has attracted more and more attention from designers and consumers.Therefore, the fusion of the two can better endow products with unique cultural connotations and emotional value [2] .Packaging design typically selects patterns, textures, and color styles consistent with the graphic design field for visual display, and it also includes the choice of traditional crafts and materials (such as carving, embroidery, ceramics, etc.).Different textures brought by different materials also help the packaging to enhance product value and competitiveness [3] .
Web design places more emphasis on the arrangement of design and whether the layout is harmonious and beautiful, offering users a smooth visual experience.The application of Chinese traditional culture in web design is in a stage of development and innovation.Artistic elements of Chinese traditional culture are often applied in the design elements of web backgrounds, icons, buttons, etc., conveying specific cultural connotations and emotional atmospheres.Web design also needs to pay attention to the choice and typesetting of fonts to merge with the charm of Chinese traditional culture, aiming to achieve a more oriental style and artistic value in web visual experiences.

Challenges in the Development of Chinese Traditional Culture in the Field of Visual Communication
The development of Chinese traditional culture in the field of visual communication design has been ongoing, for instance, the emergence of terms like national trend and neo-Chinese style signifies the rise of a wave of traditional culture.However, it can currently be observed across fields like graphics, packaging, web design, etc., that the outcomes of these designs are too homogeneous and lack distinctive innovation [4] .The main reasons include: a lack of understanding of traditional culture among designers limits its application in visual communication design; the integration and innovation of traditional culture in visual communication design are relatively insufficient, remaining on traditional symbols and patterns, lacking in-depth exploration and creative interpretation of traditional culture, leading to overly monotonous designs; the pressure of market competition is high, many brands and enterprises tend to adopt modern, fashionable visual communication designs to meet the needs of young consumers [5] .Traditional culture faces significant challenges in market competition; the balance between cultural protection and innovation is not well managed, overprotection of traditional culture leads to fewer innovative visual communication designs.Excessive innovation may lead to distortion and blurring of traditional cultural elements, losing their original cultural connotations and values.These challenges restrict the development of visualizing traditional culture.Breaking these constraints is a severe test for contemporary designers.

2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou
As the host of the 2022 Asian Games, Hangzhou's design aspects primarily revolve around its characteristics and historical heritage.The emblem of the Hangzhou Asian Games, named "Surging Tide," consists of six elements: the fan surface, Qiantang River, Qianjiang tidal bore, racetrack, Internet symbol, and the sun symbolizing the Asian Olympic Council.Below is the seal of the host city name and the year of the event, together they form the complete emblem of the Hangzhou Asian Games.For the mascot design, three IP images were chosen, collectively named "Memory of the South of the Yangtze River," a phrase from a famous line by Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi: "When I recall the south of the Yangtze River, I recall Hangzhou the most."The three mascots represent three places in Hangzhou: the Liangzhu Ancient City Site, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and West Lake [6] .They carry China's profound heritage and the vitality of the era, integrating historical and cultural elements, natural ecology, and innovative genes (Figure 1).
The integration of a large amount of local traditional culture in the design helps to bring Hangzhou's and Oriental culture to the international stage, promoting the inheritance and publicity of our culture.The distinctive regional characteristics enhance the audience's viewing experience during the Asian Games.Through the use of traditional elements, the Asian Games will become a blend of traditional culture and modern sports, presenting a captivating and culturally rich event to the world.

Overlord Tea Maiden
The milk tea brand "Overlord Tea Maiden" is a typical representative of neo-Chinese aesthetics.The brand's name is tightly connected to the quintessence of China -traditional opera culture.The brand promotes Chinese traditional culture from the root and arouses the enthusiasm of the people for national confidence, pride, and cultural heritage [7] .The design concept of the "Overlord Tea Maiden" brand logo is to integrate the charm of Eastern culture, Buddhist culture, opera characters, and Western geometric aesthetics.The color selected is Chinese red.The overall design displays easily recognizable symbols and a peaceful and serene temperament.The brand's packaging design is even more unique, for instance, the "Going to Yunnan" series of packaging, themed on the tea-horse style of Yunnan, selects nature and animals as the main images of the illustrations, and line-drawn illustrations are designed in the style of Yunnan tie-dye.The brand's store space design also uses oriental culture decorations and deconstructivist aesthetics, applying various elements such as oriental tenon-and-mortise, embroidery, cloud dragon costume, folding fan, etc., in its design, aiming to create a brand space for a new Chinese tea shop (Figure 2).
The visual representation with Chinese traditional charm highlights the brand's tone and cultural heritage, helping consumers resonate on both visual aesthetics and emotions.This cultural output provides Overlord Tea Maiden with a strong competitive edge and brand influence in market competition.With the advancement of technology and the advent of the digital age, Chinese traditional culture will usher in new development opportunities in the field of visual communication design.The integration of digitalization and traditional culture will become a future trend.The application of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies can provide new possibilities for the visualization of traditional culture.Through VR and AR technologies, audiences can immerse themselves in traditional cultural scenes, artifacts, and cultural heritage, deepening their understanding and appreciation of Chinese traditional culture.The digital representation of traditional culture can also innovate on digital platforms.Through online platforms, mobile applications, and social media, the visual elements of Chinese traditional culture can attract more young people's attention and understanding in innovative forms integrated with technology.This allows audiences to feel the rapid development of technology while experiencing the unique charm of traditional culture, resonating emotionally with it [8] .

The Fusion of Traditional and Modern Elements
Injecting symbols, patterns, and imagery of traditional culture into modern design and seeking new breakthroughs can help make traditional culture more vibrant and fashionable.By combining elements such as patterns, floral and bird designs, dragon and phoenix images from traditional culture with modern geometric shapes, linear styles, or abstract representations, designers can create visual effects that are both traditionally charming and modern.In color application, designers can combine the color concepts in traditional culture with modern color trends to create color combinations full of tension and personality.This fusion can give new vitality to the colors of traditional culture in modern design through adjustments in saturation, brightness, and contrast.The selection of materials and craftsmanship should pay more attention to the fusion of different textures and patterns of traditional and modern products.For example, ceramics, embroidery, wood carving, lacquerware, paper-cutting, etc., found in traditional products can be combined with modern craftsmanship like glass, metal, plastic, spray painting, etc., creating works with a sense of layering and texture, allowing the value of traditional culture to be expressed in a modern way [9] .

Cross-Cultural Communication and Cooperation
Cross-cultural communication and cooperation can help designers broaden their horizons and promote cultural diversity in the field of visual communication design.It can both protect and inherit the uniqueness of traditional culture, and promote equal communication and cooperation among different cultures.Aesthetic concepts, design concepts, and artistic expressions under different cultural backgrounds all have their unique characteristics, and mutual communication can stimulate the collision and inspiration of creativity, bringing new ideas and inspiration to the visual communication design of traditional culture.Cross-cultural communication and cooperation provide a platform and opportunity for the transmission of traditional culture on a global scale.Designers can stimulate innovative inspirations, enhance their design capabilities and levels, and present brand new artistic expressions through different ways of thinking, creative concepts, and design methods [10] .

Conclusion
In the field of visual communication design, exploring new directions for the inheritance of Chinese traditional culture is a task of significant importance.Faced with the current predicament where the visual manifestations of Chinese traditional culture are too homogeneous and lacking in innovative highlights, experts, scholars, and designers need to inject more modern innovative elements into the visual design of traditional culture while preserving its essence, enabling traditional culture to exude new vitality in the digital age.The integration of digitalization and traditional visual elements, the fusion of traditional elements and modern design, and the strengthening of cross-cultural communication and cooperation can help create new vitality in the visual representation of traditional culture.

Figure 1 :
Figure 1: 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games logo and mascot design

Figure 2 :
Figure 2: Overlord Tea Maiden "Going to Yunnan" series packaging design