The Beijing News:

We have noticed that products of intangible cultural heritage have begun to enter people's lives in large numbers in recent years, and public knowledge and understanding of intangible cultural heritage has increased. What achievements has China made in promoting and protecting intangible cultural heritages since the 18th CPC National Congress? How do these achievements contribute to the inheritance and promotion of the fine traditional culture of China? Thank you.

Rao Quan:

Just as you said, intangible cultural heritage is more and more becoming a part of modern life and glowing with new vitality. I'd like to invite Mr. Wang Chenyang from the department of intangible cultural heritage to answer your questions. 

Wang Chenyang:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritages. It has adopted a series of major plans and practical measures to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of intangible cultural heritage so they will shine with greater charm in the new era. 

First, preserving intangible cultural heritage has become an important aspect of retaining China's cultural roots and carrying forward the Chinese civilization. So far, over 100,000 representative projects of intangible cultural heritage have been launched at all levels, among which 1,557 are state-level ones. The number of representative inheritors at all levels has reached over 90,000, 3,062 of whom are state-level ones. And 23 state-level cultural ecology protection areas have been set up to carry out various initiatives, including ones to document intangible cultural heritages, renovate traditional crafts, cultivate inheritors, and inherit and develop folk art forms. So far, over 100,000 inheritors have been trained, and the momentum for inheriting intangible cultural heritages has been constantly boosted.

Second, intangible cultural heritage has become an important source for the Chinese nation in bolstering cultural confidence and forging a strong sense of community. A variety of intangible cultural heritage activities are held on traditional festivals and Cultural and Natural Heritage Day in various places, and have created a stronger sense of passion among the whole of society for our fine traditional Chinese culture. The 24 solar terms performed at the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics showed to the world the cultural heritage and cultural confidence of the Chinese nation. All of our 56 ethnic groups have items incorporated into the country's representative list of national intangible cultural heritage, and the fine traditional cultures of different ethnic groups communicate with, appreciate, and respect each other under the framework of intangible cultural heritage protection. Intangible cultural heritage has become a carrier and bond for promoting interaction, exchange and integration between all ethnic groups and forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people.

Third, intangible cultural heritage has become an important force to promote high-quality economic and social development, so as to meet people's needs for a better life. We have promoted the revitalization and development of traditional craftsmanship, and enriched the categories of traditional handicraft, significantly improving the quality of products and largely extending their applications into new areas of modern life. In order to boost targeted poverty alleviation and rural revitalization through intangible cultural heritage, more than 2,500 intangible cultural heritage workshops have been established in various places, which facilitated local economic development. Intangible cultural heritage projects related to family education and family tradition, as well as village-level regulations, have played an important role in nurturing good folk customs and fostering the culture of community.

Fourth, intangible cultural heritage has become an important part of displaying China's image and spreading China's voice. To date, 42 intangible cultural heritage items in China have been included on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage lists, ranking first in the world, contributing our share to global cultural diversity. The joint-applications for Urtiin duu or "long song" and the Wangchuan ceremony and related practices have become important manifestations of promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. Other items such as acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine, Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa and taijiquan have provided Chinese wisdom for solving human health problems.

Going forward, we will stick to the principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's major expositions and instructions on the protection of intangible cultural heritage. We will innovate while following fine traditions to find the connection between traditional culture and modern life, and we will revitalize our fine traditional Chinese culture with the spirit of the times to continuously satisfy people's ever-growing needs for a better life. Thank you.