The ongoing 19-day festival on intangible cultural
heritages in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, is the first international event to
promote the protection of intangible cultural riches.
With the theme of "Inheritance of ethnic culture, communication of civilizations
and promotion of a harmonious world," the festival is aimed at furthering
China's efforts in intangible cultural heritage protection and enhancing its
global influence in the field, said Ding Wei, assistant to the Minister of
Culture.
During the event, the First Extraordinary Session of the UNESCO (United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Intergovernmental
Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was held from
May 23 and 27.
There was also a two-day Chengdu Forum, which ended on May 24 and featured
talks on the protection of intangible cultural heritage. More than 40 experts,
scholars and government officials from around the world signed the Chengdu
Manifesto, calling for the international community and governments in different
countries to put more emphasis on protecting intangible cultural heritage, such
as opera, songs, and dance.
The text of the Chengdu Manifesto will be inscribed in stone in many
languages and placed inside the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Park in
Chengdu. The stone will be unveiled to the public on June 10, said Chengdu Vice
Mayor He Huazhang.
Heritage exposition
The Exposition of the First International Festival of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Park opened May 23 in
Chengdu's Jinniu District.
Spread over 80 halls, the exposition displays 1,112 domestic and overseas
intangible cultural heritage items free of charge for the duration of the
festival.
"Folk artists will perform there," said Deng Gongli, deputy secretary-general
of the Chengdu
municipal government.
The exposition will also feature Muqam, a traditional performance from the
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Prefecture.
Muqam, which combines music, dance, singing and poetry, is on UNESCO's Oral
and Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
"It will be the first time that Muqam makes its debut outside of Xinjiang,"
said Zhu Shuxi, chief of the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture.
