[Bamoqubumo] Protecting Intangible Cultural Heritage and Environmental Sustainability-Taking the practice of applying for the "Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law" as the main line
[Excerpts
"Tibetan Medicine Medicinal Bath Method-Knowledge and Practice on Life, Health and Disease Prevention and Control of Tibetans in China" was included in the UNESCO "Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" in November 2018.
At the same time, the application materials for this heritage project were recommended by the review agency and recognized as an application example by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee.
Based on the purpose of establishing a representative list of works under the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage, this article explains the basic positioning of the preparation of application materials for the "Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law" around the "sustainable connection between mankind and the environment"; then refers to the decision of the committee and the review The key evaluation of the inclusion of this heritage project in the representative list of works recommended opinions from the review agency, discusses the connection between the application practice and the concept of sustainable development, and also discusses the protection practice of traditional Chinese medicine intangible cultural heritage projects.
[Keywords] Intangible cultural heritage; heritage projects; sustainable development; environmental sustainability; traditional knowledge and practice; intangible cultural heritage of traditional Chinese medicine [Introduction to the author] Bamotrabumo, researcher at the Institute of Ethnic Literature, China Academy of Social Sciences.
[Fund Project] This article is the phased result of the independent project "Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection and Policy Research" by the Center for Oral Tradition Research, Institute of Ethnic Literature, China Academy of Social Sciences (project number: ICH202001/OTRC-IEL).
In October 2003, the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention" or the "2003 Convention"), recognizing "the importance of intangible cultural heritage as a melting pot of cultural diversity and a guarantee of sustainable development"(preamble).
Since then, UNESCO and its Member States have established a set of procedural systems for action based on protecting and respecting the living heritage of the communities, groups and individuals concerned, promoting cultural diversity worldwide, respecting human creativity and promoting sustainable development.
As of 27 July 2020, 180 States had acceded to the Convention, accounting for 93.26 per cent of the 193 member States of the intergovernmental international organization.
This ratio, which is close to full ratification, shows that the purposes and objectives of the Convention have been universally recognized and widely supported on a global scale.
As a "four-fold mechanism" for international cooperation in protecting intangible cultural heritage (i.e.
two directories, one directory and international assistance), 2003 Convention Directory The systematic construction of the Lists of the 2003 Convention was officially launched after the publication of the "Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage"(referred to as the "Operational Guidelines") in June 2008.
Through the past 12 years, the application practice and implementation practice of various states parties have gradually matured, and many experiences and lessons have also been accumulated.
As of December 2019, 549 heritage projects from 127 countries have been selected into the Convention list.
It is worth noting that 35 of them have been included in the "Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity"(referred to as the "Representative List") application materials for heritage projects have been successively recommended by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage (i.e.
Intangible Cultural Heritage The Committee, referred to as the "Committee") recommended as application examples.
The heritage application project "Tibetan Medicine Medicinal Bath Law-Knowledge and Practice on Life, Health and Disease Prevention and Control of Tibetans in China" submitted by China at the end of March 2017 was included in the list of representative works in 2018, and its application materials have become one of the examples.
Since 2011, the Committee has instructed its advisory body (now the "review body") to select declaration cases with exemplary value from the application materials submitted by States parties each year, with very clear intentions and directions.
In other words, closely focusing on the four purposes of the Convention (Article 1), and in accordance with the definitions of "intangible cultural heritage" and "protection" in the Convention (Article 2), procedural systems such as "declaration-inspection-review-review-review-report" for specific heritage projects are adopted under the framework of international cooperation to enhance the exchange of experiences among various states parties, communities and groups and relevant actors, identify common problems and challenges, and strengthen capacity building.
Promote the implementation and development of the Convention.
Therefore, it is necessary to emphasize here that the Convention has its specific goals in establishing a representative directory.
The "Operation Guide" makes mandatory provisions on the criteria for inclusion in the list of representative works (paragraph 2).
The legal basis of standard R.2 is based on the provisions of the Convention on the purpose of establishing a list of representative works (Article 16):
R.2 Including this heritage project on the list will help ensure the visibility of intangible cultural heritage, raise awareness of its significance, and promote dialogue, thereby embodying the world's cultural diversity and helping to witness human creativity.
An overall understanding of the purpose of the representative list must focus on three key points: raising awareness at the local, national and international levels, promoting dialogue among communities, groups and individuals, and making practical contributions to embodying cultural diversity and witnessing human creativity.
Then, by analyzing the application materials listed as examples by the Committee and their heritage project positioning, argumentation logic, narrative discourse and even expression strategies, we can open up a very tense reflexive thinking space for observing the application practices of various states parties; and combining the process of heritage social construction to explore community participation mechanisms, we can also find diverse practical methods in these examples.
Under this line of thought, this article only uses the application text of the "Tibetan Medicine Medicinal Bath Law" and some accompanying supporting supporting materials as the basis for evidence-based analysis, and also uses the key evaluations in the review body's report and the committee's decision as reference.
③, focusing on the basic positioning of this heritage project in the application and demonstration work, we focus on the interactive relationship between intangible cultural heritage protection and environmental sustainability, as well as the protection practice of traditional Chinese medicine intangible cultural heritage projects.
1.
Protection measures: ensure the survival of heritage projects
The "Tibetan medicine bath method" is a practice developed by the Tibetan people based on the "five-source" view of life and the "three-cause" view of health and disease.
In Tibetan,"Lum" refers to the traditional knowledge and practice of regulating physical and mental balance and achieving life health and disease prevention and control by bathing in natural hot springs or water or steam boiled by medicine.
As an integral part of the traditional Tibetan medicine "Sowa Rigpa" and a representative external treatment method, this heritage project reflects the excellent traditional culture passed down by the Tibetan people from generation to generation and embodies the great creative spirit of the China people.
In line with the requirements of sustainable development, ensuring the viability of the heritage project and maintaining the sustainable connection between people and the environment is not only a primary principle adhered to in the preparation of application materials for the "Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law", but also a key dimension of follow-up protection actions for the heritage project.
Article 2, paragraph 3, of the 2003 Convention clearly defines "safeguarding", that is, taking various measures to ensure the viability of intangible cultural heritage.
The viability of a certain heritage project (an element) is its potential for continued implementation and inheritance, and remains of great significance to relevant communities and groups.
Therefore, while focusing on "protection", we must be highly vigilant about viability and the two factors it faces-threats and risks.
Generally speaking, threats are real problems that hinder the continued implementation, practice and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage projects; risks are foreseeable potential problems.
The "Ethical Principles for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage" approved by the Committee in 2015 clearly state: "Communities, groups and local, national and transnational organizations, as well as individuals, should be carefully evaluated for the direct and indirect, short-term and long-term, potential and obvious impacts of any actions that may affect the survival of intangible cultural heritage or the communities where it is practiced"(Principle 9).
In view of this, during the preparation of the application materials for the "Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law", China paid full attention to the interdependence between people and the environment and sustainable development issues in the relevant descriptions of heritage projects and the proposed protection measures.
Below, we will briefly summarize this main line based on the citation of application materials.
First, establish the basic positioning of heritage projects.
This heritage project has been passed down from generation to generation in Tibetan-related communities.
It has been continuously created and developed as people adapt to the surrounding environment such as plateau, snowy regions, and mountains, and interact with nature.
It reflects the Tibetan people's adherence to the values of harmonious coexistence between man and the environment.
The application text clearly states: "In the process of inheritance and practice of this heritage project, relevant communities combined their own ethnic astronomy and medical calculation knowledge to calculate the appropriate bathing timing in various places by observing phenology, seasons and human body pulses, thereby preventing diseases.
This heritage project is also closely related to astronomy and medical calculation.
Mastering the corresponding relationship and change laws between syndrome differentiation and time differentiation is crucial to traditional diagnosis and treatment."" Various herbal medicines must be collected from appropriate parts of plants in a timely and appropriate manner, which is not only related to the effectiveness of medicinal materials.
It is also conducive to the management and sustainable use of natural resources ";" While acquiring, utilizing and managing water resources and plant medicinal materials resources, the Tibetan people pay attention to maintaining sustainable development of the environment." The sustainable connection between people and the environment is like a main thread of narrative interpretation, which also runs through the filming and editing of the application film.
Second, establish a risk assessment-early warning mechanism.
The application text describes the following constraints: "In the process of globalization, Tibetan traditional views on life, health, and disease are at risk of being marginalized; the successive deaths of Lao Mamba and the impact of modern education models have made this heritage project The traditional inheritance model and the cultural significance it carries have gradually been diluted; changes in the ecological environment such as the greenhouse effect have led to the scarcity of some Tibetan medicinal materials resources." At the same time, it is also necessary to monitor the unintended consequences of the heritage project being included in the list and take preventive measures to ensure environmental sustainability, including the sustainable use and management of natural resources needed to practice the heritage project.
Third, formulate responsive protection measures.
In response to the above risks, several protection measures have been specifically established in the proposed "Five-Year Protection Plan" based on concerns for sustainable development between people and the environment.
The first is to improve young people's awareness of protection.
Organize experts to write knowledge books for primary and secondary school students; use the Internet and self-media to spread knowledge, and carry out activities such as the "Water Resources Ecological Protection Knowledge Competition" and "Distinguishing Medicinal Materials-Love Every Grass and Tree in Hometown".
Second, rationally utilize Tibetan medicinal materials resources.
Continue to promote the construction of resource and environmental dynamic monitoring stations, and carry out hierarchical protection of hot spring resources, medicinal materials resources and medicinal materials production areas.
The third is to properly manage the practice place.
Compile the "Protection List of Traditional Practice Places and Cultural Memorial Places of Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath" to protect Yutuo Cave, Yaowangshan Medical Lizhongyuan Site and other related places and ecological environment, aiming to make these natural places carry historical memory and cultural creativity.
Space and memorial sites play a role in contemporary intangible cultural heritage education and inheritance practice activities.
Fourth, respect the customs and practices of contacting the heritage project.
The application text mainly mentions two traditional practices related to ecological protection, and also expresses the commitment: (1) Due to the Tibetan people's reverence for the water of life, no one is allowed to use holy water in the Shenhu Lake, such as Namtso Lake and Zhaling Lake.
Bathing in the lake.
(2) When collecting medicinal materials related to the heritage project, the seasonal rules of plant growth should be followed, and appropriate parts of plants must be picked to ensure efficacy and sustainable use of vegetation.
In the process of preparing the application for this heritage project and formulating protection measures, the above-mentioned traditional customs have been fully respected and maintained; they will continue to be followed in the implementation of protection measures.
Fifth, collect community informed consent certificates.
The Convention and its basic documents unanimously advocate that relevant communities, groups and individuals (inheritors and practitioners) should participate as widely as possible in the protection and management of their intangible cultural heritage, and that focusing on community positions, views and traditional practices is also a programmatic approach for preparing application materials.
In the community informed consent certificate attached to the application text, the people's accumulated experience and basic attitudes in daily life practice are reflected and are consistent with the application text.
For example, villagers in Ganqu Village, Linzhou County said,"In our village, everyone believes that this heritage project is a 'treasure' left by our ancestors and should be passed down from generation to generation.
In daily life, we pay attention to the protection of water resources such as hot springs; when collecting herbal medicines, we follow the tradition of being timely, suitable and appropriate; during the bathing festival, villagers spontaneously participate in relevant practical activities."
Sixth, fulfill the responsibilities and obligations of the State Party.
The national level clearly expressed its full support for the proposed protection plan, which stated that "measures will be taken to ensure the living inheritance of the heritage project, especially to strengthen the viability of the heritage project in the local cultural ecosystem." This is also in line with the construction of cultural and ecological protection experimental zones advocated and continuously promoted by governments at all levels in China for many years.
The overall protection and sustainable management of specific and specific intangible cultural heritage manifestations and the natural resources, environmental resources and cultural spaces that survive and are constantly recreated in cultural habitats also reflects the multiple stimulating effects of China practice of intangible cultural heritage protection, China experience and China's solutions on the application of heritage projects.
In short, the application materials for the "Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law" fully demonstrate the inheritance and responsibility agreement between the subject of the heritage project and the governments at all levels as a whole.
They also demonstrate the commitment to implementing protection measures, and adopt a people-oriented process protection strategy.
A participation mechanism has been established for multiple actors to ensure that relevant communities, groups and individuals, especially women and young people, fully and effectively participate in the protection plan and its implementation at all stages.
2."Positive examples": Maintaining sustainable connections between people and the environment
The classic definition of "sustainable development" is found in "Our Common Future: Report of the United Nations Commission on Environment and Development"(also known as the "Brantram Report", 1987):"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of contemporary people without endangering the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The demand for sustainable development and the prominent principle of intergenerational equity have also guided ethical considerations for protecting intangible cultural heritage.
As early as the 1980s, the United Nations noticed the relationship between culture and development.
In its "Plan of Action for the World Decade for Cultural Development (1988-1997)","understanding the cultural dimension of development" became the primary goal.
However, the road is blocked and long, and the road is coming.
It was not until September 25, 2015 that the United Nations adopted "Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development"(hereinafter referred to as the "2030 Agenda") that it officially incorporated culture into the global development agenda, recognizing the world's natural and cultural diversity, recognizing that all cultures and civilizations contribute to and are an important driving force for sustainable development.
The 2030 Agenda has made substantial progress on sustainable development issues in many areas, especially those related to education, sustainable cities, food security, environment, economic growth, sustainable consumption and production patterns, and peaceful and inclusive societies.
Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, for the first time,"integrating culture into the dimension of development", clearly emphasizing that culture also helps to promote sustainable development across the three pillars of society, economy and environment.
Affirm that culture constitutes an important resource for dialogue for peace and security.In a sense, this is due to the long-term unremitting efforts and policy consensus of UNESCO and the international community, including China, in the field of culture: to bring the world on a path of sustainable development and vitality, Intangible cultural heritage protection is also crucial.
Intangible cultural heritage can effectively promote sustainable development on each of the three pillars of development and help meet the needs of peace and security.
The realization of sustainable development is inseparable from peace and security, and the conceptual scope of peace and security goes far beyond the military scope.
The security of all countries also depends on economic prosperity, social justice and ecological stability.
Among other factors, the main factors that pose environmental threats include: global warming and the resulting sea level rise, drought, desertification, extreme weather, human-caused natural disasters, water shortages and water pollution, biodiversity loss, excessive exploitation of natural resources and the emergence of new diseases (such as the global impact of COVID-19).
These issues all pose a major threat to peace and security around the world.
Therefore, protecting intangible cultural heritage not only helps improve the public's social and cultural well-being, but also helps promote the great cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Focusing on sustainable development from the harmonious coexistence of man and nature and the interaction between man and the environment has become a main line in the application of the "Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law", especially in terms of the design, preparation and implementation planning of protection measures, both aspects are fully considered from the perspective of both directions and consistency.
This key dimension was highly recognized in the conclusion of the committee review decision (DECISION 13.COM 10.b.8, para 4):
Appreciate the submission of the State party for emphasizing the importance of traditional knowledge about nature and the universe and providing positive examples of the sustainable connection between humans and their environment.
Among the five major areas of intangible cultural heritage, knowledge and practice about nature and the universe mainly involve knowledge, know-how, skills, practices and conceptual expressions inherited and developed by relevant communities through interactions with the natural environment.
This kind of intangible cultural heritage strongly affects people's values and spiritual world, and has become the cornerstone of many social practices and cultural traditions.
In turn, relevant knowledge and practice shape the wider living world of the natural environment and community.
Intangible cultural heritage provides a sense of identity and continuity to relevant communities and groups, so it has corresponding cultural significance and social functions to their communities, and is constantly recreated in people's life practices, building cultural diversity in manifestations and knowledge systems.
At the same time, intangible cultural heritage explains and shapes the world, influencing people's lifestyles, personal behaviors, consumption patterns, values related to environment and resource management, and the interaction between people and nature.
Local knowledge systems, local experience and people's wisdom, as well as environmental management practices passed down from generation to generation, provide valuable insights and instrumental significance for addressing ecological challenges, preventing the loss of biodiversity, reducing land degradation and mitigating the effects of climate change., can respond to or solve many of the challenges facing today's community with a shared future for mankind.
The application practice of the "Tibetan Medicine Medicinal Bath Law" is based on thinking and responding to environmental sustainability.
In its endless intergenerational inheritance process, the "Tibetan medicine bath method" involves all aspects of localized practices, such as local genetic resources, plant knowledge, water resource management wisdom, ritual practice, life rituals, social organizations, traditional festivals, mother tongue expression, and even visual arts; at the same time, traditional models such as family inheritance, apprentice inheritance, and community inheritance have also formed a deep integration with temple medical schools and modern higher education.
The ecological concept of interdependence between man and nature and sustainable development of man and the environment has become the core concept for relevant communities, groups, inheritors and practitioners to maintain their cultural identity.
Therefore, we must fully realize that protecting the natural environment is often closely related to protecting the community's cosmology and its intangible cultural heritage; protecting the worldview or belief system is more challenging than protecting the natural environment.
3.
Health practice: raising awareness of living heritage and its significance
In order to cooperate with the 2030 Agenda implemented by the United Nations on January 1, 2016, the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention adopted a resolution during its sixth session held in June of the same year, adding a new chapter to the "Operation Guide", namely Chapter 6 "Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development at the National Level"(paras.
170 - 197), which provides a number of recommended guidance on "health care" and "inclusive social development"(para.
179), and states that "States parties will strive to ensure the recognition, respect and promotion of health practices that communities, groups and individuals regard as part of their intangible cultural heritage and are beneficial to well-being, including their associated knowledge, genetic resources, practices, manifestations, rituals and beliefs, And use its potential to contribute to the realization of quality medical care for all." States parties are further encouraged to incorporate relevant intangible cultural heritage practices into health care from three aspects: "cultivating scientific research and investigation methods","adopting appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures" and "strengthening collaboration and complementarity among the diversity of various health care practices and systems" to achieve inclusive social development.
The preparation of the application materials for the "Tibetan Medicine Medicinal Bath Law" was inspired by the "Operation Guidelines", including the formulation of the five-year protection plan, which has always been consistent with the positioning and thinking of green health practice.
This should also be one of the reasons why the review body recommended the application materials for the "Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law" as a "example" in its 2018 annual work report (ITH/18/13.COM/10, para.
27).
The report points out--
The "Tibetan Medicine Medicinal Bath Method-Knowledge and Practice of Life, Health and Disease Prevention and Control of Tibetans in China" declared by China demonstrates the huge potential of living heritage in improving understanding of knowledge about nature and the universe.
Solid community participation should be praised.
This evaluation has two meanings.
On the one hand, we fully affirm that communities, groups and individuals are not only inheritors of knowledge about nature and the universe, but also important actors in maintaining the environment.
In particular, the passing down of such intangible cultural heritage practices from generation to generation has a potential role in protecting biodiversity and sustainability.
Sustainable management and utilization of natural resources have a potential that cannot be underestimated.
On the other hand, the application for this heritage project and the formulation of protection measures have always been based on community participation.
At the same time, it relies on the research and results achieved by relevant groups and inheritors and practitioners, and draws fresh experience from traditional practices related to life, health and disease prevention and control.
and collective wisdom, and even transforms it into a key to heritage expression.
This heritage project includes two basic practical methods: natural mineral spring bath and artificial medicinal bath.
It relies on the continuous interaction between relevant communities and groups and the special environment where they live together.
It is not only related to how to understand man and nature, man and environment.
The concepts, thoughts, wisdom and experience of people and society are closely related to the local knowledge system of how to sustainably use and manage genetic resources and natural resources.
For example, the basic prescriptions for artificial medicinal baths are collectively referred to as "Five Flavors Ganlu".
There are five main medicines, namely Rhododendron microphyllum growing in the meadow, Ganlu alpine cypress growing in Yangshan, Ganlu Tibetan Ephedra growing in Yinshan, Ganlu Myrinia chinensis growing in the water, Ganlu macro-seed Artemisia growing in dry land; its auxiliary medicines include highland barley, alkali flower, etc.
When applying medicine, other medicinal bath recipes can be selected according to the patient's condition, or other adjuvant drugs can also be used.
According to documentary records, Tibetan medicine baths can treat hundreds of physical and mental diseases and are currently widely used in clinical treatment and preventive health care, especially for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, postpartum arthritis, and lumbar intervertebral disc herniation, psoriasis.
It has special effects on more than 10 diseases such as psoriasis.
Since 2009, Tibetan medicine baths have been included in the medical insurance system for residents in Tibetan areas.
Therefore, the application materials for the "Tibetan Medicine Medicinal Bath Method" state that it promotes traditional knowledge and practices related to nature and the universe, and actively explores, studies, and explores the impact of seasonal, meteorological, and phenological changes on human health and disease prevention and control, which will help traditional medicine and modern medical medicine systems form functional complementarity.
As for "solid community participation", there are indeed many remarkable points in the application work, which will not be repeated here.
In the follow-up action plan, we should continue to focus on issues related to sustainable development, including but not limited to environmental sustainability, such as promoting inclusive social development from "health care", and we can further commit to "cultivating scientific research and investigation methods, including community and group-owned initiatives aimed at understanding and protecting the diversity of health care practices that communities, groups and individuals regard as part of their intangible cultural heritage, demonstrating their functions and effectiveness, and confirm its contribution to meeting health care needs "(paragraph 179 of the Operational Guidelines).
Conclusion: The meaning of a drop of water
The "Traditional Chinese Medicine Law of the People's Republic of China" clearly defines "traditional Chinese medicine", that is,"Traditional Chinese medicine as used in this Law is a general term for the medicine of all ethnic groups in our country, including Han and minority medicine.
It is a medical system that reflects the Chinese nation's understanding of life, health and disease, and has a long historical tradition and unique theories and technical methods"(Article 2).
As a result,"traditional Chinese medicine" has become the cover term for the medicine of various ethnic groups in China.
At the same time, the law stipulates that "if it is a representative project of intangible cultural heritage, inheritance activities shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant provisions of the" Intangible Cultural Heritage Law of the People's Republic of China "(Article 42).
Here let us go back to the beginning of this article to review the purpose of the representative works list.
In its decision, the Committee commented on the positive significance of the inclusion of the Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law as follows (13.COM 10.b.8,para.2):
R.2: This practice promotes sustainable development, promotes knowledge about nature, and promotes natural resource conservation.
Including this heritage project on the list will highlight these qualities that are shared by different cultures around the world.
The heritage project's traditional and institutionalized practices create synergies that enhance mutual respect among different groups of practitioners and stimulate dialogue among other communities on health and disease prevention practices.
At present, there are 137 representative national intangible cultural heritage projects in my country's traditional medicine category, including 23 categories; 132 inheritors, including 14 women; and at least 12 categories of ethnic minority traditional medicine are involved.
As Zhong Jingwen said: "The significance of a drop of water cannot be underestimated." As an example of the fourth intangible cultural heritage field classified under the framework of the Convention, namely "knowledge and practice related to nature and the universe", the application and inclusion of the "Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law" can be seen from the small to the big.
Then, on the issue of sustainable development between man and the environment, if the various protection measures formulated in the application text of this heritage project are implemented in place, its protection practices and experience summary will have a case-by-case significance, which will have a trickle-down effect on the protection and inheritance of Mongolian medicine, Uyghur medicine, Miao medicine, Dai medicine, Yi medicine, and even the entire traditional Chinese medicine.
It may also set a model for other intangible cultural heritage projects to actively incorporate ecosystem and biodiversity values into protection strategies, explore approaches from multiple dimensions of sustainable development, summarize China's practice, and refine China's experience.
Therefore, it is still necessary for us to think more extensively on how the "Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law" can further make practical contributions to the purpose of the representative work list.
This is also the long-term significance of the application work and the implementation work.
It is true that we must not only pay full attention to the relevant examples already included in the Convention's list, but also learn from the application materials that have never been included in the list or returned to the submitting country.
Judging from the application practices of States parties in recent years, some intangible cultural heritage practices pose risks to environmental sustainability, such as causing environmental pollution or overexploitation of natural resources needed for the continued practice of heritage projects; at the same time, some intangible cultural heritage practices have the potential to promote Environmentally friendly positive effects, such as using natural energy, or exploring the sustainable potential of traditional knowledge and traditional technologies themselves.
In addition, more attention must be paid to the possible negative impacts of commercialization and to avoid the dangerous path of de-contextualization of heritage projects due to the development of tourism, such as attracting more tourists to participate in ritual practices.
Therefore, establishing an effective mechanism to monitor and evaluate the protection results, challenges and lessons learned of relevant heritage projects is also the only way for China's intangible cultural heritage protection practice.
Finally, it needs to be noted that the application materials for the "Tibetan Medicine and Medicinal Bath Law" embody the strength and wisdom of all relevant actors, especially community representatives, group representatives and inheritors representatives who provide constructive opinions, and the writers who specifically participate in the preparation of the application text., the application film shooting and production team, and the application demonstration expert group have all put in a lot of effort and sweat.
Appointed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the author has the honor to be one of the members of the working team with Tibetan medicine experts as the backbone, responsible for assisting in the writing of application texts and application film scripts.
This small article is not so much a summary of some of the experiences of individuals participating in the application practice, but rather an "assignment" completed on behalf of the "us" team to facilitate various stakeholders to apply the application practice of the "Tibetan Medicine Bath Method" as a mirror image of protection practice.
Recalling that the application materials for this heritage project became an example, it brought unexpected "joy" to everyone.
After all, this praise is also an affirmation of China's declaration practice.
As we gather our spirits, we still hope that all actions can transform the committee's decision into another starting point for reflexive thinking-not forgetting our original intention, keeping our mission in mind, forging ahead, grasping the implementation direction of the follow-up protection plan, and constantly summarizing and constantly reflecting, we will effectively do a good job in the protection and performance of the heritage project.
This passage can also be used as an explanation of the original intention of writing this article.
(This article was published in the 6th issue of Folk Culture Forum, 2020.
The annotations are omitted and refer to the original issue for details)