Global Times: Intangible cultural heritage status result of China's cultural diversity

BEIJING, Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The successful inscription of "Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional New Year" to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity signifies global recognition of China's efforts to protect intangible cultural heritage (ICH).

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) made the decision at the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage on Wednesday.

China now boasts nearly 870,000 ICH items. Among them, 44 items have been added to the UNESCO ICH List, ranking first in the world. The 24 Solar Terms, Peking Opera, Chinese Calligraphy, the wooden movable-type printing of China, Mazu belief and customs are just some examples reflecting China's rich cultural diversity and its commitment to preserving and promoting its ICH.

The Spring Festival's inclusion on the UNESCO list highlights the rich and diverse cultural heritage within China. China's ICH includes a wide range of practices, from Tibetan Opera to the Mazu belief system, showcasing the country's commitment to preserving the cultural diversity that exists within its borders. The Spring Festival is not a monolithic tradition but a cultural phenomenon that encompasses various regional customs and celebrations, each contributing to the greater whole.

"The Spring Festival is inherently rich in content, encompassing a variety of intangible cultural heritage forms," Zheng Changling, a research fellow at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, told the Global Times.

For example, during the festival, people engage in activities such as putting up New Year paintings, paper-cuts and calligraphy, performing dragon and lion dances, worshiping their ancestors, enjoying opera performances and other folk traditions. These elements collectively form the rich ICH of the Spring Festival, said Zheng.

As the Spring Festival is celebrated globally, these related ICH forms will also reach other parts of the world. Beyond the heritage forms themselves, the deeper cultural values and meanings behind them will also become known to people of different cultural backgrounds, Zheng added.

Domestically, China has established a four-tier system - consisting of national, provincial, city, and county levels - to protect all ICH. Meanwhile, China has witnessed marked progress in the protection and inheritance of ICH since the promulgation of the Law on Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011, according to a report submitted for review to the session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee in November.

ICH has also contributed to economic and social development, said the report, noting that it has fueled the development of tourism and rural revitalization, among other fields. In addition, efforts have been made to bring ICH closer to the people. For example, educational authorities specified that ICH education should be incorporated into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools. 

The integration of top-down national strategies and grassroots-level support ensures a balance between the legal framework, government initiatives, and community involvement. These efforts provide a solid legal foundation for ICH protection and offers policy support for the preservation of ICH projects.

"China has undertaken extensive efforts to protect, explore, and pass on traditional Chinese culture through policies, laws, and regulations. These efforts form the foundation and safeguards for the contemporary expression of Chinese culture," Su Dan, deputy director of the Chinese Traditional Culture Museum, told the Global Times.

Traditional culture should be appropriately integrated into contemporary contexts to achieve greater impact. Innovative development is the norm for cultural development nowadays, Su added.

One example of the innovative aspects of China's ICH protection efforts is its push for digital preservation. In June 2023, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism approved and released the country's first industry standards in the field of ICH, the Digital Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage - Digital Resource Collection and Cataloging series.

Digital tools offer new possibilities for the transmission of cultural knowledge. Through online platforms, videos, and virtual reality exhibitions, young people around the world can experience and learn about traditional Chinese practices in ways that were previously impossible. The digitization of ICH not only helps preserve these traditions but also ensures that they remain vibrant in the digital age.