In a remarkable feat, Xiangxi has spearheaded the establishment of the country’s first batch of national-level cultural and ecological protection areas—the Cultural and Ecological Protection Area of Tujia and Miao Ethnic Groups in the Wuling Mountain Area (Xiangxi). With a strong focus on comprehensive protection, dynamic inheritance, and productive transformation of ICH, Xiangxi has successfully harnessed its resources, garnered attention, and united forces to promote the integration of ICH with all-for-one tourism and rural revitalization.
On May 4, the first-ever Longshan County Tourism Development Conference & Ethnic Grand Celebration for Hand-waving Festival took place, bringing together ethnic minority communities from over 20 counties and cities in the Hunan-Hubei-Chongqing-Guizhou border region.
Tian Longxin, the representative inheritor of the national-level ICH project Daliuzi, the ancient Tujia ethnic folk music form, showcased his talent at the Hand-waving Festival by taking the stage at the age of 81 and singing the Tujia welcoming song.
Rebala Village holds the distinction of being one of the first “Chinese Traditional Villages”. Visitors can immerse themselves in the wisdom of Tujia people that permeates the village, witnessing the ancient oil-pressing workshops, blacksmith workshops, bamboo crafts workshops, and Tujia brocade workshops.
They can also watch captivating performances of national-level ICH projects like Tujia Maogusi Dance and Bamboo Flute Performance, which embody the Tujia people’s values of reverence for nature, unity, and kindness.
In Xiangxi, intangible cultural heritage is harmoniously blended with tangible cultural heritage and natural landscapes, as well as the preservation of traditional villages. The prefecture diligently excavates and organizes the ICH resources within villages and scenic areas, implementing comprehensive protection measures to enhance the cultural depth of various tourist attractions, key villages of rural tourism, and Red tourism sites.
To promote the integration of ICH projects into tourism, Xiangxi has successfully organized 16 influential traditional festivals and celebrations since last year, including the Miao Ethnic Group’s Ganqiu Festival, Tujia Ethnic Group’s Hand-waving Festival, Miao Ethnic Group’s April 8 Day, Qingming Song Festival, and Tujia Ethnic Group’s Mountain Song Festival.
Furthermore, Xiangxi actively incorporates ICH projects or related elements into nighttime cultural and tourism consumption clusters, as well as the development of essential infrastructure such as high-speed railway stations and tourist service centers.
Fenghuang Ancient Town holds a plethora of collective memories within the cultural sphere.
One of the standout features that showcase Xiangxi’s identity and unlock the essence of Fenghuang Ancient Town is the unique art of Xiangxi Batik. Wang Yao, a representative inheritor of the prefecture-level ICH project, Fenghuang Batik, and China’s ambassador for promoting textile ICH, lives in this mysterious small town.
In the winter of 2003, Wang Yao, armed with his remarkable skills, began to immerse himself in capturing the beauty of every element of Fenghuang Ancient Town through the art of batik. Every day, he meticulously followed the simple yet extraordinary process of batik.
“This is my very first batik artwork!” On May 16, under the guidance of Wang Yao, Xu Jiang, a visitor from Hebei Province, successfully completed a batik piece featuring a captivating design of a stilted building. Such immersive experiences not only allow tourists to gain in-depth knowledge but also serve as a valuable pathway to promote the inheritance of ICH.
Xiangxi has made significant efforts to establish various facilities and venues such as ICH museums, heritage experience centers, ICH workshops, and ICH project protection units. These establishments emphasize interactive demonstrations and experiential teaching.
Productive transformation
On May 10, Ye Shuiyun, a representative inheritor of the national-level ICH project “Tujia Brocade”, garnered the prestigious nomination as the “Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage Annual Figure” for 2022 which was awarded in Tianjin Province.
At the age of 68, Liu Dai’e, another esteemed representative inheritor of the national-level ICH project “Tujia Brocade”, teaches others the art of brocade in the Tujia Brocade Production Protection Base located at Rebala Village in Longshan County.
Despite the recent buzz of the May Day holiday tourism, the Aizhai Bridge Scenic Area continues to witness an influx of educational visits. With over 300 local residents operating agritainment restaurants and distinctive homestay inns, nearly 30,000 individuals increase their income.
The Miao Silver Jewelry Forging Production Protection Base, established by the Fenghuang County Cultural Heritage Inheritance Co., Ltd., proudly stands as one of the 21 prefecture-level production protection bases in Xiangxi.
Xiangxi seamlessly integrates ICH into people’s daily life and production, ensuring its continuous presence and showcasing its vigorous vitality.
On May 15, in the bustling production workshop of Miao clothing in Shuanglong Town of Huayuan County, Shi Meimei, a revered representative inheritor of the prefecture-level ICH project “Miao Embroidery”, and skilled embroiderers meticulously attended to the intricate details of trimming thread ends and packaging exquisite garments.
In 2017, Shi Meimei established the Daiya Miao Embroidery Co., Ltd. at Shibadong Village, centralizing the training of embroiderers from nearby villages and facilitating the unified acquisition of their splendid embroidered creations. Through innovative enhancements to traditional Miao embroidery techniques and garment styles, they have succeeded in crafting a stunning collection of contemporary Miao clothing.
According to the latest statistics from the culture and tourism department, Xiangxi has successfully established one national traditional craft workstation and 10 ICH employment workshops. These initiatives generate stable employment opportunities for over 30,000 individuals annually and provide temporary employment for an impressive 100,000 people.
