China has made remarkable strides in preserving its rich cultural heritage in 2024, highlighted by its latest achievement on the global stage. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed the Spring Festival – social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year – on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This addition brings China's total number of cultural elements on UNESCO's list to 44, the highest in the world.
Preserving Cultural Heritage
As one of the world's oldest civilizations, China has consistently prioritized the safeguarding of its cultural and natural heritage. In 2024, President Xi Jinping referenced culture over 100 times during his domestic inspection tours, underscoring the nation's commitment to protecting its heritage and fostering cultural development.
During a visit to the Baoji Bronze Ware Museum in Shaanxi Province, Xi admired \"He Zun,\" a bronze vessel bearing the earliest known written record of the Chinese characters for \"China.\" He emphasized the importance of studying and preserving such relics, calling for a deeper understanding of China's 5,000-year-old civilization.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the country has achieved significant progress in preserving intangible cultural heritage. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, China now safeguards over 760,000 immovable cultural relics and maintains a comprehensive inventory of intangible cultural heritage, recognizing more than 100,000 representative items and 90,000 inheritors.
In Hubei Province, Xi visited the Yunmeng County museum and praised ancient bamboo and wooden slips from the Qin and Han dynasties. He stressed the need for intensified archaeological research and the protection of cultural relics as physical evidence of China's history.
Promoting Cultural Tourism
President Xi has also been a strong advocate for integrating culture and tourism, aiming to make cultural tourism a pillar industry. Provinces like Hunan, Hubei, and Anhui are leveraging their revolutionary cultural resources, traditional villages, and architecture to enhance educational and tourism opportunities.
2024 saw a surge in cultural tourism during the holidays, with trends such as Zibo barbecue, Luoyang Hanfu, Guizhou's \"Village BA\" basketball tournaments, and \"Erbin\" festivities gaining nationwide popularity. These events, along with concerts, festivals, and fireworks displays, have driven tourism growth across various regions.
Museums have also experienced increased visits, reaching 1.29 billion in 2023, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration. Additionally, China's expanding visa-free policy has fueled a travel boom, attracting 8.19 million foreigners in the third quarter of 2024, a 48.8% increase year-on-year, with 4.89 million entering visa-free.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
