12 intangible cultural heritage themed tourist routes were recently unveiled in China as part of efforts to integrate the beauty of intangible cultural heritages into contemporary life.

Drum Tower on the central axis of Beijing (Photo/pixabay.com)

During an activity launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a total of 12 tourist routes were selected, including routes related to the central axis of urban planning in Beijing, and revitalisation of old cities areas in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province.

At an intangible heritage forum held on Oct. 18, experts on intangible cultural heritage and tourism expressed the belief that China's intangible cultural heritage is extensive and profound, and its core is the pursuit of beauty and nostalgia.

They noted that promoting the integrated development of intangible cultural heritage and tourism will not only give full play to the unique advantages enjoyed by the tourism industry and promote the development of intangible cultural heritage protection, but will also inject high-quality cultural content into the tourism industry and serve as a strong driving force for its high-quality development.

The head of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism also pointed out that intangible cultural heritage is a high-quality resource for tourism, while tourism is an important carrier of intangible cultural heritage dissemination. He added that intangible cultural heritage themed tourist routes serve as a vital starting point for the integrated development of intangible cultural heritage and tourism.