“In Chinese, there is a saying that intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is the homeland of our spirit. With ICH, we know where our home is.” —Yang Zhi, director, International Training Center, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asia
Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) encompasses oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, and knowledge and skills surrounding traditional crafts. It is culture rooted in community, passed down from generation to generation and adapted to remain relevant in today’s society. In 2003, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established an international framework for protecting cultural diversity throughout the world. In 2014, there are more examples of Chinese ICH forms and practices on the UNESCO Representative List for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage than from any other member state.
Participants try their hands at paper cutting during a crafts demonstration at a temple in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, 2013.
Photo by Sojin Kim, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Wang Wenda carves a woodblock for a print at Yangliuqing Fine Arts Press, Tianjin, 2014.
Photo by Josh Eli Cogan, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Chengdu International Conference on Intangible Cultural Heritage, Sichuan Province, 2012.
Photo by Daniel Sheehy, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Banner for the 4th International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 2013.
Photo by Daniel Sheehy, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Making zongzi for Dragon Boat Festival. Photo courtesy of China News Agency
The Tianjin Shadow Puppet Group demonstrates shadow puppetry for families at a shopping mall, Beijing.
Photo by Yueyang Zhang
Liang Xiaoying demonstrates the batik process, Kaili, Guizhou Province, 2014.
Photo by Josh Eli Cogan, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Schoolchildren work on a research assignment at the Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo in Taierzhuang, Shandong Province, 2012.
Photo by Sojin Kim, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Wu Zhangshi teaches students in the "100 Dong Songs Program" in Dimen village, Guizhou Province, 2014.
Photo by Atesh Sonneborn, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Dragon dancers perform outside during the second China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo in Taierzhuang Ancient Town, Shandong Province, 2012.
Photo by Jim Deutsch, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
At the 4th International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 2013.
Photo by Sojin Kim, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
In the past decade, China has implemented UNESCO’s safeguarding measures at municipal, provincial, and national levels. This reflects official recognition of the importance of traditional culture and an enormous effort to mitigate the disruption of traditional arts that occurred in twentieth-century China and to promote cultural heritage in the new millennium. Hundreds of thousands of researchers have surveyed the country’s tradition bearers. More than 200,000 hours of audio documentation and four million photographs have been collected in 140,000 research volumes. A national list of heritage items has been compiled and more than 1,400 master artists have been formally designated as “representative culture bearers” charged with transmitting their knowledge and skills to the next generation.
As we continue this important international work, the 2014 Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrated the dynamism of tradition and creativity and honors the individuals and communities in China who are ensuring the vitality of diverse traditions for the future.
