Huayin Laoqiang, a traditional shadow puppetry originating and thriving in Huayin City, Shaanxi Province, was officially included in the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Projects in China in 2006. In the same year, Huayin Laoqiang made its stage debut as significant background music in the drama "Bai Lu Yuan," employing a "stage" approach devoid of shadow puppetry. Furthermore, in 2016, it collaborated with popular singer Tan Weiwei during the Spring Festival Gala. Consequently, Huayin Laoqiang has gained widespread visibility in its stage form; however, this has also led to a gradual fixation of the concept of "Huayin Laoqiang" within society, resulting in a noticeable divergence between public perception and the definitions held by folk artists. The stage performances of Huayin Laoqiang have directly propelled and accelerated the development of its "canonization," with certain performance styles and musical elements now regarded as contemporary "canonist." Additionally, the paper reveals that local grassroots protection centers have not adequately prioritized the canonization of Huayin Laoqiang and its inheritance protection models. The absence of "research" within relevant policies on intangible cultural heritage has resulted in a lack of "professionals" in grassroots practices and a
shortage of "specialists" during implementation. Consequently, the actual relationships between intangible heritage transmitters and grassroots safeguarding centers deviate from the network relationships stipulated in the Convention. Based on these findings, the paper will further discuss pressing issues that need attention in the protection of the Huayin Laoqiang intangible heritage project, as well as the foundational logics and power discourse structures inherent in intangible cultural heritage protection efforts.