On May 28th, the 9th China Chengdu International Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival was opened in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, co-hosted by the People's Government of Sichuan Province, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, UNESCO and the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO. Rao Quan, Vice minister of Culture and Tourism and Director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Shi Xiaolin, Governor of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government, Hu Yun, Vice Governor of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government, Wang Fengchao, Mayor of Chengdu, and Wang Xiaofeng, President of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association, attended the opening ceremony.
This year's Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival, with the theme of "Enhancing exchanges and mutual learning, Stimulating the vitality of inheritance, and Sharing a Better Life", innovatively introduces a festival model of "guest country + guest city". It features three main sections: "Dynamic Intangible Cultural Heritage - Tianfu Tour", "Colorful Intangible Cultural Heritage - Inheritance Dialogue", and "Charming Intangible Cultural Heritage - International Exhibition", as well as three distinctive sections: "Creative Life" - International Intangible Cultural Heritage Brand IP Licensing and Trading, "Better Life" - International Intangible Cultural Heritage Food Week, and "Healthy Life" - Traditional Medicine Promotion Week. It gathers over 600 intangible cultural heritage projects from more than 60 countries and regions. More than 400 representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage from across the country were invited to showcase, perform and sell their products on the same stage. This year's Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival focuses on the integration of intangible cultural heritage into modern life, highlighting the concept that "intangible cultural heritage belongs to the people and is shared by the people". It fully showcases China's experience in systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage, the youthful and powerful force of orderly inheritance, and the vivid practices of promoting economic and social development.
This year's Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival will last until June 3rd. Chengdu will also organize cultural activities such as dragon boat races, mass cultural performances and traditional skills displays around the Dragon Boat Festival, bringing a rich feast of intangible cultural heritage to citizens and tourists during the festival.