放牛班的课堂

Focusing on “protection and development”, the 3rd International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage” opened on May 29 in Chengdu. Under the circumstance of economic globalization, experts from China and other countries discussed how to protect the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) effectively and highlighted the cultural values, social values and economic values of the ICH. Foreign representatives at the forum consisted of scholars of the UNESCO and ambassadors and consuls of other countries in Chengdu.

Intangible Cultural Heritage Law will take effect on June 1, 2011. Unveiling this law will not only strengthen the legal protection of ICH, but will also boost the protection consciousness of the whole society. The key issue is to ensure its implementation. On one hand, the implementation should be adapted to social and cultural development. On the other hand, detailed rules and mechanisms are vital to its implementation; all of which are based on peoples’ cultural consciousness and contribution of relevant officers and scholars, said Zi Huajun, lifelong researcher of China Art Research Institute and deputy director of Experts Committee of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection.

Goswami Rahul, Indian researcher of sustainable development of ICH, spoke highly of China’s achievement in the protection of ICH.

Protecting ICH is an important strategy for maintaining cultural variety in the world. Whether the western or eastern culture, the traditional or modern culture, they are a component of human culture. The concept of keeping the variety of culture and protecting the ICH is to emphasize all kinds of culture should be treated as the common wealth of mankind, Rahul said.

Liu Kuili, deputy director of Experts Committee of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection, called on the international world to protect cultural variety and limit the negative influence of dominant culture on human value and long-term interest. Inheriting the cultural tradition of different ethnic groups and protecting cultural variety was necessary for maintaining humans creativity.

Translated by Gao Hanbo


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放牛班的课堂

The International ICH forum of the 3rd International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Chengdu released the Chengdu Initiative on May 30 to appeal for strengthening the protection for the intangible cultural heritage internationally.

Contents of Chengdu Initiative are as follows:

1. We must recognize the cognitive value and practical significance of ICH for the past, present and future of ethnic groups, nations and human beings. We must be well aware of the situation that a lot of precious ICHs are in danger in the 21st century.

2. Governments, social organizations, educational circles and the populace should attach great importance to ICH and take effective protective measures so the ICH, which shows cultural variety, can bring about vitality for important resources and culture in the progress of human beings and do good of the world.

3. Considering various countries have taken effective measures to protect ICH based on different social systems and different ways of cultural inheritance and have reached many achievements, all countries should cooperate in various aspects, share protective experiences and learn from each other to enhance protective ability for contributing to protection of ICH and sustainable development of human beings.

Translated by Gao Hanbo