Nie Dayong becomes a national ICH inheritor

Recently, Nie Dayong, inheritor of Fenghuang Papering, a provincial intangible cultural heritage (ICH) item, was on the list of the six batch of national ICH representative inheritors.

Fenghuang Papering, a traditional Chinese paper craft, has a long history and was introduced to Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in the Tang Dynasty. It has gradually been combined with local customs and characteristics, and developed into today’s Fenghuang Papering. In 2008, Fenghuang Papering was included in list of the second batch of national ICH.

Nie Dayong is the sixth generation inheritor of Fenghuang Papering and has been engaged in this craft for more than 40 years. Decades of efforts have made his craftsmanship even more refined. The works made by Nie Dayong are diverse and lifelike, many of which are representative works of Fenghuang Papering.

Fenghuang Papering is closely related to the customs and traditions of Fenghuang people. Each work vividly records the evolution of their social activities, their lives and religious sacrificial customs. In recent years, Fenghuang County has worked to promote the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage. As of now, the county has 103 national, provincial, prefectural and county level ICH items and 165 ICH inheritors.

At the same time, Fenghuang County actively explores new models for the integrated development of ICH protection and cultural tourism. It has established talent cultivation bases, study centers, ICH workshops, and cultural and artistic towns, organized ICH inheritors to participate in cultural activities and competitions, incubated ICH brands, and developed ICH products, bringing the ICH culture into people’s daily life.