From May 9 to 11, 2023, the on-site exchange event for the training program of Chinese intangible cultural heritage inheritors was held in Kunming. It was hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China and co-organized by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and organized by YNAU.
The Chinese intangible cultural heritage inheritors training program is a specialized educational activity for intangible cultural heritage inheritors, jointly implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Since 2015, more than 120 professional colleges and universities across China have participated in the program, hosting over 1,220 training courses of various types, and training more than 42,000 inheritors. When combined with training programs in various regions, the program has benefitted over 100,000 inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.
During the event, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released the performance evaluation results for the Chinese intangible cultural heritage inheritors training program for the year 2021-2022, with 50 training courses being rated as excellent. The CPC Committee and administrative departments of YNAU attached great importance to the event, making careful arrangements and organizing special and collective exchanges. They also held exhibitions showcasing the excellent results of the 2021-2022 performance evaluations, as well as exhibitions of the results of the Yunnan training program and teaching achievements of intangible cultural heritage projects in Yunnan's traditional music and dance.
In recent years, Yunnan Province has made the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage a key component of its efforts to become a "strong province" in both culture and tourism. The province has implemented a series of policy measures to promote the systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage. Drawing on the unique characteristics of intangible cultural heritage resources throughout the province, Yunnan has actively guided the training program for intangible cultural heritage inheritors to serve rural revitalization. This has resulted in the creation of local brands and geographical indications such as the Purple Pottery Street in Jianshui County, Bowls Kiln Village in Lincang City, Xinhua Village (Heqing Silverware) in Heqing County, and Chuxiong Yi Ethnic Embroidery. YNAU, Yunnan University, Dali University, Yunnan Vocational Institute of Culture and Arts, Yunnan Technician College, and Yunnan Vocational College of Culture and Art have been designated as Chinese intangible cultural heritage inheritors training institutions. Over the past eight years, they have completed 40 training sessions, training a total of 1,311 inheritors. In addition, the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism has established provincial-level intangible cultural heritage protection and inheritance bases at Zhaotong University, Qujing Normal University, the School of International Languages and Cultures of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, the School of Fine Art and Design of Kunming University, Kunming Professional College of Arts, and the Ethnic Normal School of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture. The department has also collaborated with Yunnan University, Yunnan Normal University, and Yunnan Minzu University to establish three theoretical research bases for intangible cultural heritage protection, resulting in a series of research achievements. In addition, Yunnan actively strengthens communication and collaboration with other provinces, districts, and cities, establishing a cross-provincial exchange platform for the protection of intangible cultural heritage.
The event also highlighted the need for future training efforts to fully embrace the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on the protection of intangible cultural heritage. It emphasized the importance of cultivating a strong sense of responsibility and mission for the protection of intangible cultural heritage, guiding professional colleges and universities to take an active role in the systematic protection of such heritage, and promoting high-quality development of intangible cultural heritage protection, inheritance, and education. The training must be guided by the core values of socialism and the people-centered development concept. It is necessary to uphold fundamental principles and break new ground while focusing on high-level talent cultivation as the core of the training efforts. The talent pool for intangible cultural heritage inheritors should be improved, and methods for protecting intangible cultural heritage should be expanded. Great efforts should be made to spread awareness of intangible cultural heritage concepts and China's experience in this field, while promoting the development of a theoretical system for the protection of intangible cultural heritage with Chinese characteristics. These efforts will serve national major strategies and continuously elevate the level of systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage.
Leaders from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Yunnan Province attended the event and delivered speeches. Representatives from the relevant departments of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as well as their affiliated units, and the cultural and tourism administrative departments of various provinces and representatives from 121 colleges and universities participating in the training program, attended the exchange event.
