Abstract: [Purpose/Significance] Integration interactive digital narrative into the conservation of cultural heritage represents a significant endeavor to share the digital accomplishments of Chinese culture widely. At the same time, it embodies a flexible practice of integrating digital technology with cultural heritage, aligning seamlessly with a series of national digital cultural strategies. [Design/Methodology] Through extensive literature research, the history and development of interactive digital narrative theory have been systematically reviewed. Furthermore, the connotation and element framework of interactive digital narrative have been succinctly summarized. Guided by this framework, we analyze the case of the interactive digital narrative project Digital Library Caves within the context of cultural heritage preservation. [Findings/Conclusion] Interactive digital narrative has the potential to provide multi-layered narrative fields for the conservation of cultural heritage, establish a diverse matrix of participants, explore innovative methods for story design, and bridge temporal and spatial gaps. Moving forward, emphasis should be placed on condensing cultural spirit within narrative texts, actively expanding the boundaries of the narrative participant matrix, skillfully balancing discourse through the flexible use of narrative techniques, and consistently integrating cutting-edge technologies to enrich the narrative form. [Originality/Value] This paper systematically expounds the connotation and elements of interactive digital narrative, and provides a framework reference for digital protection and exhibition of cultural heritage.

Keywords: Cultural heritage protection, Narrative, Interactive digital narrative, Traditional culture, Cultural digitization