On May 12^th, 2017, the National Conference on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage was held at the Central Academy of Cultural Administration in Beijing. The conference systematically combed the concepts of China’s intangible cultural heritage protection, summed up and exchanged experience, and planned the work tasks at the next phase. Zhaolun XIANG, a member of the Party committee of the Ministry of Culture and vice minister of the Ministry of Culture, attended the conference and delivered speeches. More than 150 relevant leaders attended the conference.

Since Kunqu Opera become one of the “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” in 2001, China’s intangible cultural heritage protection work has continued for 16 years. On the conference, the comrades from Shanxi, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan and Guizhou, have respectively introduced the experience on concepts, advantages and characteristics of intangible cultural heritage protection.

In addition to completing rescue records of national intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors and constructing eco-cultural protection experimental areas, Shanxi has also promoted protection and inheritance work on the protection policy, environment, personnel training and other aspects. Shanghai has introduced the “China Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors Training Plan” (hereinafter referred to as “the training plan”) and publicity features, which adhered to combining culture with education, and forming an alliance between the government and universities. Besides, Shanghai has utilized the social forces and multi platforms to engage in activities. Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province has expounded concepts and measures of the dynamic management and evaluation of the inheritors. Zhejiang Province has summarized its intangible cultural heritage protection work with the concept of “Planning Guide, Innovation Driven”. It has embodied in paying attention to the top-level design, adhering to the problem oriented, implementing classified guidance, building brand and strengthening organization and leadership. Hunan Province has focused on the activity of intangible cultural heritage in the campus with establishing a system aimed at encouraging to create a good condition for these activities. Guizhou Province has combined the intangible cultural heritage protection with poverty alleviation .

After reports from the above provinces, Zhaolun Xiang made a keynote speech. He firstly reviewed the intangible cultural heritage protection work carried out by the Ministry of Culture in 2016. First, putting the construction of protection capability on the agenda. Second, revitalizing traditional crafts, researching and formulating the “China’s Traditional Crafts Revitalization Plan”. Third, exploring the establishment of key projects, key work and the performance evaluation system. Fourth, continuing to increase the protection efforts.

Subsequently, he elaborated several related concepts and principles on the current intangible cultural heritage protection work. He pointed out that the most fundamental things are protecting the inheritance practice, inheritance ability and inheritance environment. The core guiding ideologies are insisting on the capacity-building-oriented policy, consolidating protection achievements, improving the quality of protection and inheritance, and promoting the sustainable development.　 

Tong CHEN, the director of the intangible cultural heritage department of the Ministry of Culture, summed up the conference and made a work report of 2017.

Time:2017.05.15

Source:ihchina.cn