context: Currently, China has 43 items on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, which makes it the most listed country globally.
Beijing stresses the protection of traditional culture in order to foster tourism, confidence in Chinese culture and ‘unified cultural memories’. Xi Jinping 习进平 has issued important instructions on the protection of intangible cultural heritage, stressing the need for
- systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage
- better meeting people's growing intellectual and cultural needs
- promoting cultural confidence and strength
- promoting creative transformation and innovative development of China's traditional culture
- enhancing the cohesion of the Chinese nation and the appeal of Chinese culture
- deepening exchanges and mutual learning with other civilisations
- better telling the story of Chinese traditional culture
- better presenting China’s culture to the world