It could be one of the most magnificent cultural projects in human history, both in scale and quality of the compilation of Chinese Folk and Ethnic Culture and Arts Collections. In fact, this unique feature only resembles another magnificent project by Chinese people thousands of years ago - the Great Wall .

Backed mainly by the Chinese Ministry of Culture , more than 100,000 people have dedicated the prime of their lives for 25 years to this huge project. During the process, six of the ten chief editors have passed away, while about another 1,000 people have also died. Obviously, the incredible extensity and profound Chinese culture requires tremendous hard work just to sort it out. However, this project is finally coming to an end.

This huge work has promoted the fundamental buildup of Chinese art in general. During this project, many opera and dance forms, song styles, arias, proverbs, folktales and legends, which previously were rarely seen, made a comeback. Local artistic organizations were created or enhanced, and many local art talents were brought up in the process of building the huge cultural Great Wall.

  Initiation of the Cultural Great Wall

The goal of the Chinese Folk and Ethnic Culture and Arts Collections is to combine intangible spiritual heritage handed down orally for thousands of years with that emanating from more specific, scientifically analyzed sources, such as books, artifacts and cultural relics. It is a source of systematic and authentic material for culture research into Chinese sociology, history, religion, folk culture, customs and ethnic minorities.

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  Building the Cultural Great Wall

In 1979, the Ministry of Culture, State Ethnic Affairs Commission and Chinese Musicians Association launched the compilation of Collection of Chinese Folk Songs, Collection of Chinese Traditional Opera Music, Collection of Chinese Folk and Ethnic Instrumental Music and Records of Chinese Quyi Music.

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  Brief Introduction to the Cultural Great Wall

This series include ten collections on a variety of topics, covering almost every corner of Chinese culture. Totaling 500 million characters altogether, the collections are basically based on provincial divisions in the 1980s.

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Author: Jeff

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