Committee recognized Li Group textile techniques, Qiang New Year Festival and wooden arc bridges
The Intergovernmental Committee for the safeguarding of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (United Nations for Education, Science and Culture) included 3 Chinese cultural manifestations in the representative list of the Immaterial Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.
The decision, made at the 19th session of the Committee in Asuncion, Paraguay, in December 2024, recognized traditional textile techniques of the LI ethnic group, the Qiang New Year Festival and traditional design and practices for building Chinese wooden arcos. All have been since 2009 on the list of intangible cultural heritage that needs urgent safeguard.
The transfer to the representative list came after the committee found that preservation efforts implemented in the last 15 years have been effective.
Traditions, which were once a serious risk of extinction, now have adequate conditions for their continuity. The heritage belong to different ethnic groups and regions of China.
Textile techniques
The falls are practiced by the LI group of Hainan Province, island located south of China, at least 3,000 years ago. The practice, which includes wiring, dyeing, weaving and embroidery, is used by women to make clothes and other items for daily use with cotton, hemp and other fibers.
Li textile techniques have been around for over 3,000 years
According to UNESCO, the standards used in textiles “They record the history and legends of culture LI, as well as aspects of worship, taboos, beliefs, traditions and popular customs.”
New Year Festival
The is celebrated on the first day of the 10th month lunar by the Qiang people of the province of Sichuan, in the center-southeast of the territory. The main objective of the ceremony is to express gratitude, ward off the evil and worship the gods and figures of the traditional religion of the region.
The Qiang people of Sichuan province celebrates the New Year Festival
The event suffered from population migration, reduced interest in heritage between young people and influence of external cultures. In 2025, it is scheduled for November 20.
Wooden bridges
The ones in arc are found in the provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang, on the southeast coast of the country. The structures were threatened by accelerated urbanization, wood scarcity and lack of space for construction.
Wooden arch bridges are found in southeastern China
With the protection of heritage, these bridges follow as a source of subsistence for carpenters and full element of the cultural ecosystem of local villages.
