BEIJING, Dec. 6, 2024 — The inscription of “Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional New Year” onto UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity demonstrates international acknowledgment of China’s commitment to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH).
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) approved this addition during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage on Wednesday.
China currently holds nearly 870,000 ICH items. Of these, 44 are on the UNESCO ICH List, the highest number globally. This includes significant cultural elements such as the 24 Solar Terms, Peking Opera, Chinese Calligraphy, China’s wooden movable-type printing, and Mazu belief and customs, reflecting China’s rich cultural tapestry and dedication to preserving and promoting its ICH.
The Spring Festival’s inclusion underscores the rich and varied cultural legacy within China. China’s ICH encompasses a wide spectrum of practices, from Tibetan Opera to the Mazu belief system, highlighting the nation’s dedication to protecting its diverse cultural heritage. The Spring Festival itself is not uniform but a diverse cultural event encompassing regional customs and celebrations.
“The Spring Festival is inherently rich in content, encompassing a variety of intangible cultural heritage forms,” Zheng Changling, a researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, told the Global Times.
Festival activities like displaying New Year paintings, paper-cuts and calligraphy, performing dragon and lion dances, ancestral worship, and enjoying opera and folk traditions collectively constitute the Spring Festival’s extensive ICH, Zheng explained.
As the Spring Festival is celebrated globally, these associated ICH forms will also spread internationally. Beyond the heritage forms themselves, the underlying cultural values and meanings will also be shared with people from diverse cultures, Zheng added.
Nationally, China uses a four-tiered system (national, provincial, city, and county levels) for ICH protection. Since the 2011 enactment of the Law on Intangible Cultural Heritage, China has made significant strides in ICH protection and transmission, according to a report presented to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee in November.
ICH has also boosted economic and social development, the report stated, citing its contributions to tourism and rural revitalization. Furthermore, efforts have been made to increase public access to ICH; for example, educational authorities have mandated its inclusion in primary and secondary school curricula.
The combination of national policies and grassroots support ensures a balance between legal frameworks, government initiatives, and community engagement. These provide a strong legal foundation for ICH protection and policy support for ICH projects.
“China has extensively worked to protect, explore, and transmit traditional Chinese culture through policies, laws, and regulations. These efforts underpin and safeguard the contemporary expression of Chinese culture,” Su Dan, deputy director of the Chinese Traditional Culture Museum, told the Global Times.
Traditional culture needs to be effectively integrated into modern contexts for wider impact. Innovative development is now essential for cultural progress, Su added.
An example of China’s innovative ICH protection is its emphasis on digital preservation. In June 2023, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism approved and released the nation’s first industry standards for ICH digital preservation – the Digital Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage – Digital Resource Collection and Cataloging series.
Digital tools provide new ways to share cultural knowledge. Through online platforms, videos, and virtual reality exhibitions, young people worldwide can engage with traditional Chinese practices in previously unattainable ways. Digitizing ICH not only preserves these traditions but ensures their vibrancy in the digital age.
SOURCE Global Times