Yearender: Intangible cultural heritages - Charm of Chinese culture in the new era

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- "Appreciate the cultures of others as do to one's own." It's a saying raised by a Chinese sociologist to emphasize the co-existence of different cultures. China, with a history of over 5,000 years, has cultivated numerous intangible cultural heritages that embody the wisdom of the Chinese nation, which also consolidate the self-confidence in its people.

The new era has breathed a new life into China's intangible cultural heritages. They act as boosters for poverty alleviation and economic development. They have become an integral part of common people's daily life, quenching their thirst for high enjoyment. They also serve as "calling cards of China" at international events. In a nutshell, they have become new windows to unfold the charm of Chinese culture.

A woman of Miao ethnic group makes embroidery at a workshop in Shibing County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Nov. 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Ying)

Inheritors of the intangible cultural heritages innovate based on the essence of these treasures while integrating modern concepts and tastes into their artworks.

They run workshops at their homes, trying to share the heritages with more people. They make changes in their designs and management, turning their artifacts more attractive in an increasingly competitive market. They focus on the cultivation of young generations, infusing these heritages into school classes.

Huang Junjun, a representative inheritor of Guixi copper engraving, quenches a copper engraving artwork at a workshop of his company in Guixi City, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

Lin Xiaolin, the third-generation inheritor of the craft of making Chengni inkstone, checks the quality of a Chengni inkstone at a studio in Xinjiang County in Yuncheng, north China's Shanxi Province, Feb. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Chenguang)

Zhou Mo (R) , the son of Huangshan city-level Huizhou Ink making inheritor Zhou Jian, makes an ink stick under the guidance of a worker at a workshop of the Ancient Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory in Shexian County, Huangshan City of east China's Anhui Province, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)

Guan Yongshuang, an inheritor of Rongchang Pottery craftsmanship, checks the firing of pottery inside a kiln in Chongqing, southwest China, Nov. 14, 2023.(Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Tang Shuhui, a municipal-level inheritor of Huizhou woodcarving, promotes woodcarving artworks via livestreaming at his studio in Shexian County of Huangshan, east China's Anhui Province, Dec. 14, 2023. (Photo by Fan Chengzhu/Xinhua)

Cai Wenjuan (1st R), a provincial-level inheritor of the blue-and-white porcelain making, imparts blue-and-white porcelain painting techniques to her team members in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, April 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting)

Jiang Manzong, the fourth-generation inheritor of the hand-making crafts of Longfeng cheongsam, helps a customer to select cheongsam at the Longfeng Cheongsam store in Shanghai, east China, May 30, 2023. (Xinhua/Xin Mengchen)

Wang Xinyuan makes a piece of Guangzhou embroidery artwork on gorilla at his studio in Liwan District of Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

Long Luying (2nd L), a provincial-level inheritor of Miao embroidery, and her employee check Miao embroidery products at the workshop in Shibing County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Children interact with puppets at a kindergarten in Qidu Town, Wujiang District of Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, April 20, 2023. In Qidu Town of Suzhou, there is a unique form of Kunqu Opera called "Kunqu Puppet" which features actors presenting performance with puppets on the stage. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Students practice the traditional "bian lian", or face-changing skills, in a dance classroom at Wu'an primary school in Dianjiang County, southwest China's Chongqing, Nov. 28, 2023. The face-changing technique is one of the most famous parts of Sichuan Opera, whereby actors rapidly alter their face makeup in stunning and dramatic effect. (Xinhua/Liu Chan)

Students display silver ornaments of Miao ethnic group during an art class at a primary school in Changsha City, central China's Hunan Province, June 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

Students make Chinese woodblock printings of the mascot images of the Hangzhou Asian Games at a primary school in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Li An)

Intangible cultural heritages are now literally "tangible" in every corner of Chinese people's daily life.

On cultural fairs, people enjoy the beauty of artworks and bring their favorite ones home. During tours and exhibitions, people hail the history and wisdom of the Chinese nation. Through fashion designs and shows, people discover the beauty of the East with Chinese characteristics.

Customers visit a Spring Festival fair themed on intangible cultural heritage in Fengrun District of Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

A tourist learns about a piece of artwork at an event featuring intangible cultural heritages during the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival in Wuchang District of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

A customer shop for handicrafts at a folk art cultural center of a cultural park in Lin'an District of Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, May 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

People visit a night market in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, March 16, 2023. As a key pass along the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang is home to the Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that boasts a vast collection of Buddhist artworks -- more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals in 735 caves. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A child shows a shadow puppet during activities to celebrate China's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day in Kaifeng City, central China's Henan Province, June 10, 2023. (Photo by Li Junsheng/Xinhua)

Children holding fish-shaped lanterns parade during the new year celebrations in Shexian County of Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, Jan. 31, 2023. (Xinhua/Du Yu)

An artist (1st L) introduces a piece of artwork to people during an annual exhibition of Anhui paper crafts in Nanping Village of Yixian County, east China's Anhui Province, on Nov. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

Chen Yuqiu, an inheritor of the national-level intangible cultural heritage of Manchu cheongsam making, teaches people to make sachets at the Jilin Museum in Jilin, northeast China's Jilin Province, June 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)

Tourists watch an inheritor of Yuping bamboo flute-making demonstrating his skills at a scenic spot in Yuping Dong Autonomous County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 5, 2023. (Photo by Hu Panxue/Xinhua)

A model presents a fashion creation featuring elements from intangible cultural heritages by designer Xiong Ying during the award ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Fashion Week in Beijing, capital of China, March 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)

Tourists wearing traditional Tibetan costumes chat at a shop in Litang County, the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaoyong)

Models present fashion creations at a fashion show featuring elements from intangible cultural heritages at a temple in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 10, 2023. (Photo by Xu Jianmei/Xinhua)

A girl and a woman present fashion creations during a family fashion show featuring elements from intangible cultural heritages at the China National Arts and Crafts Museum, also known as the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, in Beijing, capital of China, May 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Li He)

Intangible cultural heritages have become "calling cards for China" in international exchanges.

They bring closer the relationship between China and foreign countries during their leaders' tours in the country. At world-class sports competitions, they celebrate the friendship among athletes home and abroad. At promotion events worldwide, they ray the charm of Chinese culture to the outside world.

This photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows the medal ribbon, made with the craft of Shu brocade, for the 31st edition of the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach participates in an activity demonstrating intangible cultural heritages before a welcoming banquet in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma al-Assad enjoy demonstration of intangible cultural heritages before a welcoming banquet in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Actors and actresses perform the traditional "bian lian", or face-changing, during the opening ceremony of the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, on July 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo)

Members of different delegations experience traditional Chinese handicraft at the Asian Games Sub-village in Chun'an, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Juan Miguel Gomez Gomez (L) of Spanish delegation learns to play shadow puppets with the help of Zhao Hong, who is a representative successor of intangible cultural heritage Chengdu Shadow Puppets at the Village of the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

A Japanese athlete (1st R) takes a selfie with volunteers at a workshop for traditional crafts experience at the Asian Games Sub-village in Chun'an, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Students paint Chinese opera faces during an International Chinese Language Day event in London, Britain, May 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

People learn about papercutting during a promotion event for south China's Guangdong Province in Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

A participant shows a dough figurine of giant panda during the "Cultural China, Splendid Sichuan" event in Auckland, New Zealand, Nov. 29, 2023. (Photo by Zhao Gang/Xinhua)

Visitors try Chinese calligraphy at a park in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 27, 2023. (Photo by Georgiy Namazov/Xinhua)

"If we respect and treasure other's culture, the world will be a harmonious one."

The intangible cultural heritages, combining wisdoms of the ancient and modern Chinese, are not only the merits of Chinese people, but also the achievement of humankind.

Actors perform lion dance at the Plaza de Oriente (Eastern Plaza) in Madrid, Spain, on Aug. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

A model presents a creation as part of Prince Kung's Palace Fashion Show by designer Laurence Xu at Chinese culture center in Paris, France, Sept. 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

Chinese artists perform folk orchestral music as part of the Chinese Cultural Festival in Russia, in Moscow, Russia, Nov. 13, 2023. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua)

Jessica Ida Olivia Kahara of Finland presents the Jiajiang wooden pallet New Year Painting, which is an intangible cultural heritage in Jiajiang County at the Village of the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)