On October 22, the first Beijing International Intangible Cultural Heritage Week opened at the National Agricultural Exhibition Hall.
In recent years, China has established a sound legal and institutional system for the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, explored the path of intangible cultural heritage connecting modern life, continuously constructed a modern dissemination pattern of intangible cultural heritage, and provided the world with a “Chinese plan” for the practice of intangible cultural heritage protection and inheritance. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is willing to work together with Beijing and other parties to actively implement the Global Civilization Initiative, strengthen the systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage, optimize the work pattern of intangible cultural heritage, promote the integration of intangible cultural heritage into modern life, deepen international dialogue and cooperation, and contribute wisdom and strength to shoulder new cultural missions and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
Sima Hong stated in his speech that as a national cultural center and a world-renowned historical and cultural city, Beijing has always adhered to the concept of “seeing people, seeing things, and seeing life” in the protection of intangible cultural heritage. He has focused on strengthening the construction of the intangible cultural heritage protection and inheritance system, emphasizing the cultivation of intangible cultural heritage inheritors, improving the management system for representative projects of intangible cultural heritage, effectively promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of intangible cultural heritage, and continuously improving the level of systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage, Intangible cultural heritage has become a beautiful golden business card of the capital culture. Looking towards the future, Beijing will protect, inherit, and utilize intangible cultural heritage, further strengthen protection and inheritance, promote utilization and development, deepen exchanges and mutual learning, better continue historical context, strengthen cultural confidence, and promote the prosperity of the capital’s culture. Holding this year’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Week is an important measure to strengthen the display and exchange of intangible cultural heritage. We look forward to jointly promoting the sustainable development of human culture through exchanges, mutual learning, and mutual interpretation between Chinese and foreign civilizations.
In his video speech, Guerrero shared Mexico’s experience and cases in protecting and inheriting intangible cultural heritage, and wished this year’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Week a complete success. He looked forward to using this as an opportunity to deepen exchanges and cooperation among countries around the world in this field.
The ambassadors of Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia and other countries to China, as well as representatives of UNESCO to China, attended the opening ceremony. On that day, Chinese and foreign guests jointly watched the “Inspiring the World” intangible cultural heritage performance, visited the Representative List of Human Intangible Cultural Heritage and exhibitions of intangible cultural heritage projects from various countries, the Beijing Tianjin Hebei Intangible Cultural Heritage Joint Exhibition, the “Tea and the World” Exhibition, and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Creation Joint Exhibition.
The theme of this year’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Week is “Beautiful Intangible Cultural Heritage and Harmony with the World”. Multiple exhibitions, performances, forums, and discussions will be held, showcasing nearly 500 intangible cultural heritage projects from approximately 40 countries both domestically and globally.
Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism Rao Quan and Vice Mayor of Beijing Sima Hong attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech.
Mexico’s Minister of Culture, Guerrero delivered a video address.