2024 marks the 20th anniversary of China’s endorsement of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. To date, China boasts 43 projects listed in the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage registry, ranking first worldwide. From October 17 to 21, the 8th China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo will be held in Jinan, Shandong Province, showcasing 211 representative projects and over 100 intangible cultural heritage inheritors.
Among those present will be Wei Bowen, the fifth-generation inheritor of the Tianjin kite-making technique, a national-level intangible cultural heritage project. He has introduced “custom-made” and “collaborative” kites based on popular animated characters and game icons, including a “Iron Man kite.” Similarly, Sun Ge Yao, a community-level representative inheritor of the Xuzhou scented pouch craft, has changed the high-saturation color palette to lighter shades and reduced the size of the pouches to half their original dimensions. “Young people today prefer small, exquisite, and portable products,” she noted. She has also combined scented pouches with keychains and brooches to expand their practical applications in daily life.
During a discussion on “Integrating Intangible Heritage into Modern Life,” a spokesperson from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism emphasized that intangible heritage is not just about tradition; it is also a living, contemporary fashion. It embodies our ancestors’ accumulated wisdom, our current passions, and reflects a youthful approach to the future.
Finding Connections Between Tradition and Modernity
From ancient times to the present, the Yangliu Qing woodblock New Year paintings—designated as a national-level intangible cultural heritage project—have remained closely intertwined with daily life, depicting the ideal visions people hold for their futures. The most recognizable motifs, such as the adorable New Year doll figures, are often used to express aspirations for a better life. However, this is but a fraction of what Yangliu Qing New Year paintings encompass; they also serve to document societal events and trends within their timeline.
Wang Yan, one of the first professional inheritors from the Yangliu Qing Painting Association, has dedicated 17 years to the craft. She believes that for true preservation of New Year paintings to occur, the public must first recognize and appreciate them; only then can they delve deeper into understanding traditional crafts. “Culture and art must focus on upgrading consumption; it’s about gradually immersing oneself in culture,” she remarked.
Exploring the cultural essence of intangible heritage and searching for connections between tradition and modern life has also been a focus for the national-level representative project of fan-making, known as Wangxingji fans. “In a world where fans and air conditioning are everywhere, what purpose do fans serve?” This is a question often posed to Sun Yaqing, a national inheritor of the craft. She believes that fans not only serve practical purposes but also symbolize culture.
Wangxingji fans, originating from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, are elegant and embody the distinct characteristics of Jiangnan culture. A person’s preference for a particular fan style or how they wave it can reflect their taste and personality. For example, an extroverted individual typically uses wider gestures. During romantic encounters, fans offer a subtle means of expression: holding a fan below the left eye conveys “I miss you,” while positioning it under the right indicates “I am not interested.”
By merging ancient fan culture with modern life, Sun Yaqing believes that the key lies in “making products speak and culture come to life.” During the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, they crafted a fan titled “Lotus Rhythm,” incorporating athletic elements alongside landmarks like the Qiantang River and West Lake. Wangxingji fans are also engaging in cross-industry partnerships, extending their influence across gaming, animation, medical beauty, and more.
Innovative Experiences with Intangible Heritage
Imagine enjoying kite flying without leaving your home—this is what the interactive experience “Paper Kite Roaming” achieves. Viewers can pull on the kite string to control the movement of a kite on screen, feeling the tension of the line. Each launch presents a different kite design, showcasing the diverse artistry of kites as they soar through traditional Chinese gardens and architecture, inviting the audience to traverse time. Project technician Chen Kai explained that the goal is not only for the audience to see and experience this but also to absorb the underlying culture.
In Baofeng County, Henan Province, the annual Ma Street Book Fair has been held in wheat fields for over a thousand years. The “AR Interactive Experience” brings this traditional event into a virtual world, allowing attendees—even those not physically present—to enjoy performances and educational content. By using motion-sensing technology, participants can play instruments and handle scripts from afar.
The “Digital Taiji Interactive Experience” project captures user motions in real-time, creating an immersive platform for learning Taiji. Initially unveiled at the Henan Intangible Heritage Aesthetics Museum, the project drew many curious children during the summer break, encouraging their enthusiastic participation.
Wang Xiao, an associate professor at Zhengzhou University of Light Industry’s intangible heritage research center, believes that digital methods can enrich the channels and means of intangible heritage communication, finding suitable ways to present artifacts and techniques. However, she warns against over-relying on technology, which may detract from the essence of intangible heritage itself.
Pan Lusheng, vice-chairman of the Chinese Federation of Literary and Art Circles, emphasizes that the protection and transmission of intangible heritage should integrate contemporary technology, incorporating new materials, techniques, and products into modern cultural references to enhance traditional culture’s visibility.
Intangible Heritage as Craft and Economy: Boosting Rural Revitalization
In Loufan County, Shanxi Province, the Xue Mei Embroidery Workshop has empowered women to increase their income through “embroidery,” transforming a craft into an economic opportunity. Meanwhile, in Xunpu Village, Fujian Province, locals seized the chance to learn flower pinning skills, integrating intangible heritage with the cultural tourism industry, which generated over 600 million yuan in tourism revenue in 2023.
In the Dong Autonomous County of Tongdao, Hunan Province, the diversity and quality of Dong Brocade products not only enjoy popularity nationwide but have also reached international markets in the United States, South Korea, Dubai, and beyond. It’s hard to imagine that 17 years ago, the weaving technique for Dong Brocade was on the verge of extinction.
O Rui Fan, a city-level inheritor of the Dong Brocade weaving technique, who previously served as the deputy director of the Tongdao County Cultural Bureau, spearheaded the nomination efforts for intangible heritage projects beginning in 2007. At that time, many households had idle looms, some even discarded as firewood. “If the Dong Brocade technique dies out in our generation, I would feel ashamed before our ancestors,” she expressed. Two years later, she left her job to dedicate herself to preserving and passing on Dong Brocade culture while aiding rural revitalization. Over the past 15 years, she has held 29 training sessions for Dong Brocade weaving, educating over 5,000 individuals and creating job opportunities for more than 500 women.
Initially, training faced significant skepticism. Many doubted that people would actually purchase Dong Brocade items. For three consecutive months, O Rui Fan persistently went into rural areas to motivate potential learners, willing to return even after multiple rejections. Ultimately, her heartfelt approach resonated, and many decided to enroll. After the first training session, she invited outstanding students to weave brocade, resulting in considerable earnings for all involved. This success helped villagers recognize that weaving could indeed be profitable.
O Rui Fan shared a heartwarming story: one family that had both daughters working far from home returned to weave brocade, while another couple, both disabled, managed to earn a monthly income through brocade weaving. “When they first purchased materials, the wife was overwhelmed and burst into tears at the sight of so much money,” she recounted.
In Xuzhou’s Mazhuang Village, scenes of villagers gathering to sew scented pouches while chatting are common. The 86-year-old Wang Xiuying, a provincial-level inheritor of Xuzhou scented pouch making, began teaching villagers for free back in 2006, and many now drop by to sew whenever they have spare time.
After graduating from university seven years ago, Sun Ge Yao returned to her hometown to start a company aimed at preserving the craft, currently leading over 600 villagers in entrepreneurship and reemployment efforts. Thanks to their collective efforts, the annual output value of Xuzhou scented pouches reached 10 million yuan last year.
Pan Lusheng asserts, “We must inspire the community to protect and pass on their culture, while also paying closer attention to how intangible heritage resources contribute to rural revitalization, community development, youth engagement, and social-cultural exchanges.” By integrating intangible heritage into modern life, we create more direct impacts on daily experiences and, through protection and transmission, support rural revitalization efforts.
