保护中国无形的文化遗产 Protection for Intangible Cultural Heritage

China is a multi-ethnic nation, with 5,000 years of history and a splendid ancient civilization. This has endowed the country with extremely rich cultural heritage.

But, with changes in people's work habits and lifestyles, many traditional and folk cultures are on the verge of extinction.

To protect such intangible cultural heritage, so that communities and groups have a sense of identity and continuity, the country has made a lot of efforts in recent years, including making laws in this regard.

At the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress, some deputies are discussing ways to better protect the treasures of our nation.

CRI reporter Manling talks to some of them.

Reporter:

What you hear now is Li Yuan Drama, one of the oldest Chinese genres of Drama, which originated in the city of Quanzhou in southeast China's Fujian province.

The drama certainly had a glorious history but now faces difficulties in sustaining its very existence. NPC deputy Zeng Jingping is head of the Li Yuan Drama Experimental Troupe of Fujian.

She says the effective solution is to maintain a stable supply of talented performers.

In this year's session of the National People's Congress, she put forward a proposal on improving the salary of art performers.
Li Yuan Drama is just one of the numerous pieces of intangible cultural heritage, or ICH, in China.

UNESCO defines intangible cultural heritage as the practices, representations, expressions, as well as the knowledge and skills that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.

Examples of ICH includes oral traditions and expressions, performing arts, such as traditional music dance and theatre.

It also includes social practices, rituals and festive events, traditional craftsmanship as well as knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe.

Some experts point out that many forms of ICH are facing severe challenges in the process of urbanization and globalization.

They say China's intangible cultural heritage is closely related to people's way of work and life. With the development of the society, people's work and lifestyles change dramatically, many examples of intangible cultural heritage are facing extinction.

Some even warn that each second, one senior art performer, one craftsmanship skill or one folksong might disappear and that one old building will be torn down in China.

Zheng Changling, vice director of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center sets an example.

"Many art forms are closely related to people's lives. For example, boat trackers sang labor songs when they worked in the old days. But nowadays, the boats are usually run by motors. We don't need boat trackers any more. Unfortunately, the labor songs of the boat trackers has disappeared as well."

Similar situations also take place in other countries in the world. So UNESCO launched a campaign for the protection of oral and intangible heritages in 2000.

It has published two lists of masterpieces of intangible cultural heritage since 2001. And Zheng Changling says China is so far the country with the largest number of items listed.

"We have had four items proclaimed 'Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity'by UNESCO since 2001: Kunqu art, Guqin art, Uygur Muqam art of Xinjiang Autonomous Region and the Mongolian ethnic Long Song."

As the international efforts have sped up, so have China's. China was one of the first ten countries to ratify the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

According to Zheng Changling, the year 2006 marked a milestone in ICH protection in China. China approved a total of 518 items as the first group of national masterpieces of intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

"As we speak, the application for the second group has just kicked off. The Ministry of Culture will organize scholars and experts for the assessment and approval process. Meanwhile, China has begun a national survey on cultural resources, which is due to finish in 2008. The country has also established the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, to carry out specific work, like working the way to protect the bearers of cultural heritage"

In addition, China even celebrated its first Intangible Cultural Heritage Day in 2006, calling for more public awareness and protection efforts.

Zheng Changling adds that some local governments have better awareness of protecting their own culture's heritage. As a result, they have done a better job.

For example, as most local dramas gradually lose their popularity, Chaoju, a traditional drama in south China's Guangdong Province has maintained a vitality.

NPC deputy Chen Xuexi from Guangdong, who is also a Chaoju performer himself, introduces the protection of drama in the province.
"The government launched some fundamental projects, like a Chaoju Competition and a campus campaign on introducing the drama to students through animation. It encourages children to learn Chaoju so that they can arouse the interest of their family members, relatives and communities through the drama. The government also set up a fund to support Chaoju troupes, organizing research and the compilation of books on the drama."

Although the protection work nationwide proves effective to a certain extent; many scholars say that much greater efforts are needed.

Many are calling for a national law on the protection of intangible cultural heritage to regulate the protection efforts.

More and more NPC deputies are promoting the legislation.

In this year's session, Deputy Gao Xiang from Fujian Province, together with 30 other delegates, has raised the proposal to publicize the national law as soon as possible.

This is not the first proposal Gao Xiang put forward as an NPC deputy on the protection of intangible cultural heritage.

Gao Xiang explains why she is so persistent in making this effort.
"Only those which are local or national will maintain their vitality. We should not become indifferent to our traditional and national heritage from generation to generation, worshiping some foreign culture, instead. I don't mean we should reject foreign culture, but it is important for us to treasure and develop our own valuable culture. I think every Chinese should feel the urgency of this. And in terms of the country as a whole, it should legislate to provide a legal basis for the protection work."

So far, the NPC, China's top legislature has added to its 2007 legislation plan a special law on the protection of intangible cultural heritage.