In themorning of September 24^th, the 16^th session of the 12^thStanding Committee of the Provincial People's Congress of Shandong has passedthe Regulations on the IntangibleCultural Heritage of Shandong Province, in which the time from the 23^rdof the twelfth month of the lunar year to the 2^nd day of the secondmonth of the following year are defined as the Month of Intangible CulturalHeritage. During this period, all the administrative departmentsabove the county level in charge of culture wouldhave to carry out intensively the exhibiting and show activities on intangiblecultural heritage.

Asdefined by the regulations, intangible cultural heritage refers to themanifestation of culture in all kinds of forms, together with the relevantmaterial objects and sites, which have evolved from generation to generationand have been regarded by people of all ethnic groups as a part of theircultural heritage. It consists of traditional oral literature and its languagecarrier; traditional painting art, calligraphy, music, dancing, drama, folk artand acrobatics; traditional craftsmanship, medicine, calendar; traditional folkactivities such as etiquette rituals, festivals; traditional sports andentertainment as well as other forms of intangible cultural heritage. Byprotecting, it means to take measures to inherit, spread the intangiblecultural heritage which embodies splendid traditional culture of Chinesenationality and has historical, cultural, artistic and scientific values. Bypreserving, it means to take actions to identify, take notes and keep inarchive the intangible cultural heritage.

Accordingto the regulations, to protect intangible cultural heritages, people must payattention to its authenticity, integrity and inheritance, implement theguideline of “protecting, rescuing, rational utilizing, inheriting anddeveloping”, and follow the rule of “government dominating, communityparticipating, long-term planning and steadily implementing”. During the Monthof Intangible Cultural Heritage every year, all the administrative departments abovethe county level in charge of culture would have to carry out intensively theexhibition and show activities on intangible cultural heritage. People, legalentities and other organizations who have made great contribution to theprotection and preservation work of intangible cultural heritage would berewarded.

All theadministrative departments above the county level in charge of culture mustconduct investigations on the intangible cultural heritage in their own area,and master its number, current situation, inheriting and spreading situation.Other relevant departments could carry out investigation on the intangiblecultural heritage within their own work area. When conducting investigations,the administrative departments of culture and other relevant departments shouldpreserve the material objects and documents properly, take notes and keep themin the archives. Within 60 days after finishing investigation, theadministrative departments of culture and other relevant departments shouldhand over the copy files of the material objects and documents to theequal-level departments in charge of culture.

ThePeople’s Government of the provincial, municipal and county level need toestablish the list of representative intangible cultural heritage items atcorresponding level. The items listed should meet the following requirements: embodyingthe standing traditional culture of Chinese nationality; having values inhistory, literature, art and science; getting inherited from generation togeneration within a certain area; and causing great influence to local areaswith its vivid regional cultural features.

Therepresentative inheritors of representative intangible cultural heritage itemscould enjoy the following rights: to conduct demonstrating, instructing,creating and researching activities of craftsmanship; to choose, cultivateinheritors independently; to legally use the material objects, places anddocuments of the item; to legally enjoy the funds for representativeinheritors; to put forward advices for the protection work of intangiblecultural heritage.

Time: 2015.09.30      

Source: http://www.dzwww.com