ICH projects of Wuling Mountain Area shine at 8th CICHE

The 8th China Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Expo (CICHE) opened in Jinan City, Shandong Province on October 17. Five representative ICH projects of Wuling Mountain Area (Western Hunan) Tujia and Miao Cultural and Ecological Protection Zone were showcased at the expo. Xiangxi Vocational and Technical College for Nationalities, as an ICH research and training college, was invited to participate in the youth ICH creative market exhibition.

The exhibition area of Wuling Mountain Area (Western Hunan) Tujia and Miao Cultural and Ecological Protection Zone combined the unique mountains, waters, plants and trees of Xiangxi with the skilled craftsmanship of representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), vividly presenting the cultural and ecological scenes of tea planting, water washing, grass dyeing, and bamboo and wood weaving in the mountains.

While carrying forward fine Chinese traditional culture, inheritors create “life art pieces” that suit the needs of both daily life and modern aesthetics. Guzhang Maojian Tea, colorful Miao paintings, blue cloth with design in white, cross-stitch works, and the unique Xiangxi bamboo weaving were all showcased. The 74-year-old Zhang Yuanzhong, a provincial-level representative inheritor of Guzhang Maojian Tea making techniques, showcased his tea skills while enthusiastically introducing them to the audience.

The rich and diverse ICH projects fully demonstrated the systematic and holistic protection results of the cultural and natural environment of Wuling Mountain Area (Western Hunan) Tujia and Miao Cultural and Ecological Protection Zone.

The Wuling Mountain Area (Western Hunan) Tujia and Miao Cultural and Ecological Protection Pilot Zone was established in November 2010, and became one of the first national cultural and ecological protection zones in China in December 2019. The protection area mainly features Tujia and Miao ethnic cultures, with Pu culture, Chu culture, and Ba culture as important elements. It has formed a diverse and symbiotic regional culture that includes elements of southern mountain farming culture, fishing and hunting culture, and Nuo culture.

For over a decade, the Wuling Mountain Area (Western Hunan) Tujia and Miao Cultural and Ecological Protection Zone has worked to improve laws, policies, and management mechanisms, actively taken a series of measures to protect and inherit ICH, explored a construction and protection model with Xiangxi’s characteristics, and gained practical experience.


Chinese source: hunantoday