Heavy weight 丨 Tai Chi Quan and the King Boat are included in the list of representative works of human intangible cultural heritage (including application films)

The 15th ordinary session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee") will be held online from December 14 to 19, 2020.

This regular meeting reviewed a total of 50 intangible cultural heritage projects declared by 57 countries.

On the evening of December 17, Beijing time, the "Tai Chi" separately declared by my country and the "King's Boat-Ritual and Related Practices Related to the Sustainable Connection between Man and the Ocean" jointly declared by my country and Malaysia (hereinafter referred to as the "King's Boat") The two projects were reviewed and approved by the committee and included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

So far, a total of 42 intangible cultural heritage projects in my country have been included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List (Register), ranking first in the world.

Figure 1 The meeting was held online (live video screenshot) Taijiquan application video (duration: 9 minutes and 44 seconds)

Since its formation in the mid-17th century, Taijiquan has been passed down from generation to generation.

Practitioners have spread all over the country and has been widely spread and passed down overseas.

There are no restrictions on the gender, age, physique, occupation, and ethnicity of the practitioners.

By practicing Tai Chi, people can cultivate their moral character and strengthen their health, while also inheriting the cultural genes of the Chinese nation.

"Learn boxing to understand reason", the traditional China philosophical thoughts and health preservation concepts of Yin and Yang cycle and the unity of man and nature contained in Taijiquan enrich people's understanding of the rules of operation of the universe, nature and the human body; its basic requirements of being loose and round and upright, respecting teachers and respecting the Tao, learning boxing must not be disrespectful, not crazy, and not satisfied, subtly cultivate people's peaceful, tolerant and friendly temperament.

Tai Chi plays an important role in improving people's health awareness, promoting physical and mental health, promoting harmonious coexistence among people, and enhancing social cohesion.

Figure 2 Tai Chi enthusiasts in Jiaozuo City, Henan Province practice Tai Chi collectively in People's Park in the morning (Photo: Sun Haitao)

Figure 3 Chen Bing, representative inheritor of Chen's Tai Chi, explains relevant knowledge of the heritage project to students (Photo: Zhang Yuzhou)

Figure 4 Representative inheritor Yang Zhenhe (center) teaches Yang Taiji at Tai Chi Square, Yongnian District, Handan City (Photo: Wang Xiaocui)网站图片位

Figure 5 Representative inheritor Zhai Weichuan (white-haired elderly man) teaches Wu's Taijiquan (Photo: Wu Sujie)

Figure 6 Representative inheritors Li Jianfang (right) and Liu Yunting (left) are demonstrating Wang Qi and Tai Chi practitioners (Photo: Hou Lijie) to present a Wangchuan application card (Duration: 9 minutes and 47 seconds)

Sending the king's boat is a folk activity widely spread in southern Fujian of my country and the coastal areas of Malacca, Malaysia to relieve disasters and pray for peace.

Since its formation in the 15th to 17th centuries, with the "Lower Southeast Asia" and maritime trade, it has gradually spread from southern Fujian of my country to Southeast Asia.

The King's Ship conveys people's historical memories of their ancestors going to the ocean, embodies the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature and respecting life, and provides rich cultural dialogue resources for promoting the development of an inclusive society; it carries observations of meteorology, tides, ocean currents and other marine knowledge and navigation technology are the crystallization of people's long-term wisdom in production and life at sea.

The royal ship is regarded as a common heritage by relevant communities in China and Malaysia and is a vivid example of the spread and integration of Chinese culture in countries along the Maritime Silk Road.

Figure 7 Painter artist Chen Shuilang paints and paints wooden king boats (Photo: Shi Yilong)

Figure 8 Royal boat delivery ceremony in Haicang District, Xiamen City, Fujian Province, China (Photo: Ouyang Shushun)

Figure 9 Royal boat delivery ceremony in Malacca, Malaysia (Photo: Chan Kow Heng)

Actively applying for intangible cultural heritage projects to be included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List (Register) is an important part of my country's fulfillment of the responsibilities and obligations of states parties to the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

It also fully reflects my country's increasing intangible cultural heritage protection level and ability to perform contracts are important for inheriting and promoting China's excellent traditional culture, demonstrating the innovative and creative vitality of the Chinese nation, and enhancing the international influence of Chinese culture.

It is of great significance to promote people-to-people bonds and exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

Extended reading 1.

The Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Related Lists (Roster) Since the 1950s, UNESCO has continued to formulate multilateral guidelines in the field of culture to strengthen the protection of cultural heritage.

The Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage adopted by the 32nd General Conference of UNESCO in 2003 cooperates with conventions such as the 1972 Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions., jointly established an international convention system for the protection of cultural heritage.

As of now, there are 180 parties to the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In August 2004, the 11th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People's Congress decided to ratify the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

As of 2019, a total of 549 intangible cultural heritage projects from 127 countries have been included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List (Register), of which 64 projects have been included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Urgent Need of Protection, and 463 projects have been included in the List of Representative Works of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 22 projects have been selected into the List of Excellent Practices.

Items declared by each State Party for inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List (Register) must meet the inclusion criteria specified in the Operating Guidelines for the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage and be reviewed by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

According to the spirit and declaration rules of the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage, each State party has the right to apply for inclusion in the list of intangible cultural heritage projects in its territory that meet the definition and listing criteria of the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

For intangible cultural heritage projects existing in the territory of two or more States parties, the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage encourages multiple countries to jointly declare, and each country may also declare separately.

There is no first-come, first-served difference or subordination between them.

2.

List of projects in my country Since joining the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2004, my country has adhered to the spirit of the Convention, earnestly fulfilled the responsibilities and obligations of States parties, and actively applied for intangible cultural heritage projects to be included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List (roster).

At present, a total of 42 projects have been included in my country, ranking first in the world (7 projects have been included in the list of intangible cultural heritage in urgent need of protection, 34 projects have been included in the list of representative works of human intangible cultural heritage, and 1 project has been selected in the list of excellent practices), which effectively demonstrates the innovative and creative vitality of the Chinese nation, embodies the cultural identity of the Chinese people, and is of great significance to enhancing the international influence of Chinese culture, promoting people-to-people mutual understanding and exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

3.

of representative national-level intangible cultural heritage projects related to "Tai Chi Quan" 4.

of representative national-level intangible cultural heritage projects related to "Send the King Boat"