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Liu Bing, Curator at the Weihai Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Centre, Beijing, China, has stressed the need for adequate investment in preservation of traditional arts to promote cultural values.
Traditional arts are learned person to person, passed from generation to the next, and influenced by culture, family, ethnicity and era.
Liu gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a tour by Journalists under auspices of the China Africa Press Centre (CAPC) Programme 2022 to Shandong.
Liu said: “Cultural heritage is created by people and meant for humanity; the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage plays a big role in China’s rejuvenation.
“It helps to build a shared spiritual home for Chinese people, develop China’s fine traditional culture and continue the ancient Chinese civilization.
“Currently, among all intangible culture heritage items in Weihai, there are two items in the national list, 28 in the provincial list, 114 in the municipal list and 204 in the district list.
“They have witnessed diligence of Weihai people and history of Weihai city; the current generation has the duty to pass on intangible cultural heritage to the next ones with careful protection, inheritance and practice.
“This is a historic mission that holds respect to the past and prospects for the future.”
The curator said although the art work could only be displayed to the public, it was not exported.
Liu further explained that the artwork was produced from the artists studio, saying there was no special requirement for mass production.
“Weihai intangible exhibition hall covers an area of 800 square metres and the overall exhibition is divided into three chapters; origin symbiosis, gratitude and worship for the sea, and humanistic craftsmanship.
“These successively introduces Weihai’s intangible cultural heritage from three aspects; local production and life, folk customs and characteristic humanities.
“Not less than 20 items on the national, provincial and municipal intangible cultural heritage list are exhibited, which is an important window for the city to publicise knowledge of the heritage protection to the public.
“To show achievement of the city’s intangible cultural heritage and protection and to display the excellent intangible cultural heritage,” the curator added.
At least 90 journalists from 67 countries across Africa, Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific are participating in the programme, which began in June.
The programme, which is being hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association, is expected to end in November 2022. (NAN
