Inheritor dances in dedication to preserving precious culture(2)

Lu (front) performs tiaocaicustoms at a community gathering in Nanjian. (CHINA DAILY)

Last year, she called for the establishment of a major pilot project for the systematic protection and sustainable development of intangible cultural heritage at the national two sessions, aiming to promote the deep integration of traditional craftsmanship inheritance and the cultural tourism industry.

Thanks to her initiative, the Nanjian Tiaocai2008 Creative Park, spanning over 5,000 square meters, opened earlier this year. This project makes use of residential buildings, old homesteads and idle rural land to become a tourism resort. It promotes a range of businesses such as banquet reception, skill inheritance, study tours and sales of agricultural products.

By boosting economic benefits for communities and increasing local incomes, the project is expected to enhance vitalization of the county.

"Despite overall positive trends in the preservation of these intangible cultural heritage projects, several challenges still exist," she said.

Lu noted issues such as insufficient funding, a scarcity of talent, limited market recognition, as well as the aging of the inheritors. Unstable incomes frequently prompt young practitioners who have acquired the art to switch their professions, posing a risk for the continuous transmission of the intangible cultural heritage.

To tackle those challenges, Lu has integrated the folk arts with various industries like catering, wedding services and tourism, which has created job opportunities for tens of thousands of locals directly or indirectly, she said.

Lu has also actively promoted the inclusion of intangible cultural heritage in the school curriculum in Nanjian. By introducing these valued traditions into education, she aims to inspire children to appreciate and protect their cultural heritage.

Lu said she will carry on the protection and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage by developing a better training mechanism for the inheritors and encouraging more young people to participate.

She will also work with enterprises and government departments to develop cultural projects and boost rural vitalization.