ISLAMABAD
\nChina in recent years made remarkable strides in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, according to Report carried by China Economic Net on Tuesday.
\nTo date, 43 Chinese cultural traditions have been recognized by UNESCO, including the Nanjing Yunjin brocade weaving technique, the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, and Tai Chi, showcasing the ingenuity of the Chinese people to the world. When Spring Festival was officially inscribed on UNESCO\u2019s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Bamo Qubumo, a researcher at the Institute of Ethnic Literature under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a deputy to China\u2019s National People\u2019s Congress, could hardly contain her excitement.
\nThis milestone not only underscores the global significance of Chinese traditional culture but also injects new vitality into the preservation and transmission of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). ICH is not just a vessel of cultural transmission\u2014it is also a powerful driver of economic development.
\nFrom the phenomenal success of the video game Black Myth: Wukong to the animated blockbuster Ne Zha, the fusion of ICH with modern cultural and creative industries has not only captivated global audiences but also opened new pathways for its industrialization.
\nComing from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yuexi County, China, Bamo Qubumo is particularly passionate about how ICH can empower women in impoverished rural areas. She believes that as a \u201cliving\u201d culture, ICH can provide sustainable livelihoods for women in these regions.
\nThrough initiatives such as heritage craft workshops and embroidery training programs, rural women can both preserve traditional skills and achieve financial independence. This model not only contributes to rural revitalization but also offers a \u201cChinese approach\u201d to global ICH preservation.
\nOne compelling example is Yi embroidery, a centuries-old craft in Nanhua County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. With the rise of modern textile manufacturing, fewer women possess the traditional needlework skills, putting this heritage at risk.
\nWitnessing this decline, Ding Lanying, a Nanhua native, launched an entrepreneurial initiative in 2006 with 13 fellow embroiderers. They traveled across villages to learn and document embroidery techniques, mastering 72 stitching methods and laying the foundation for Nanhua Yi embroidery\u2019s revival.
\n\u201cToday, it\u2019s not just local women engaging in Yi embroidery\u2014men who appreciate the craft are joining in as well,\u201d Bamo Qubumo noted. Since 2020, Nanhua County has hosted 235 Yi embroidery training sessions, training 14,304 artisans and recognizing 45 embroiderers as official ICH inheritors.
\nThe industry\u2019s total output value surged from 83.16 million yuan (2022) to 1.18 billion yuan, with the average monthly income of embroiderers rising from 2,000 yuan to over 4,000 yuan. As an integral part of humanity\u2019s collective memory, ICH transcends national borders. Bamo Qubumo emphasized that ICH preservation is not just China\u2019s responsibility, but a global mission.
\nShe highlighted China\u2019s successful heritage protection practices, such as the \u201cMeishan Experience\u201d in Sichuan and the \u201cShilin Model\u201d in Yunnan, which have gained international recognition and UNESCO\u2019s endorsement. However, despite these achievements, the protection of ICH still faces numerous challenges.
\nDuring her field research, Bamo Qubumo observed a worrying trend: the over-commercialization of ICH in some regions, with certain entities even exploiting the ICH label for unethical financial gain. She emphasized, \u201cThe essence of ICH preservation lies in prioritizing its inheritance.
\nWe must guard against its distortion and misuse.\u201d In response, she submitted a proposal at this year\u2019s China\u2019s Two Sessions, advocating for a more robust protection mechanism for ICH in the digital era, reinforcing the principle of \u201cprotection first, inheritance as a priority.\u201d
\n\u201cThe core of ICH preservation lies in its human-centered, process-based protection,\u201d she explained. \u201cICH is not merely an \u2018artifact\u2019\u2014it is a way of life. Without \u2018living\u2019 traditions, there is no ICH.\u201d She urged nations worldwide to strengthen cooperation in safeguarding this shared cultural heritage.
\nThe rapid development of AI and other emerging technologies presents both opportunities and challenges for ICH preservation. Bamo Qubumo proposed accelerating the revision of China\u2019s Intangible Cultural Heritage Law, enhancing legal frameworks to ensure systematic, holistic, and coordinated protection.
\nShe also stressed the importance of integrating ICH education into both formal schooling and public awareness programs, encouraging broader participation in heritage preservation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD China in recent years made remarkable strides in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, according to Report carried by China Economic Net on Tuesday. To date, 43 Chinese cultural traditions have been recognized by UNESCO, including the Nanjing Yunjin brocade weaving technique, the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, and Tai Chi, showcasing the ingenuity of the Chinese people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-466628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-national"],"yoast_head":"\n