China, as a time-honored ancient civilization, is endowed with not only an abundance of tangible cultural heritage but also a great variety of intangible cultural heritage. The Communist Party of China and the State have long been attaching great importance to the protection of cultural heritage and the promotion of fine traditional culture. Recently, in keeping with the spirit of the 16th CPC Party Congress on “supporting the protection of important cultural heritage and fine folk arts” and to perform China's obligations after its accession into the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, the General Office of the State Council promulgated the Recommendations on Intensifying the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in China (hereinafter referred to as Recommendations), a directive in furthering the protection of intangible cultural heritage in China.

The Recommendations points out that the rich and diversified cultural heritage created by 56 ethnic groups during their historical course of production and life are crystallization of the wisdom and civilization of the Chinese nation, the emotional bond among the Chinese people, and a solid foundation for national unity. The intangible cultural heritage embodies the spiritual values, mentality, imagination and cultural awareness typical of the Chinese people, and stands as a fundamental basis for the maintenance of China's cultural identity and sovereignty. Good protection and utilization of China's intangible cultural heritage bears great importance to the implementation of the scientific approach to development, and the realization of all-round, coordinated and sustainable development of economy and society, as well as to the promotion of international dialogue among civilizations and the sustainability of all humanity. However, with the acceleration of globalization and modernization, dramatic changes have taken place in China's cultural ecology and China's intangible cultural heritage is confronted with increasingly greater challenges. Intangible cultural heritage, many of which are of great historical and cultural values, orally or behaviorally transmitted, and in danger of disappearing, is crying out for protection. The enhancement of protection for intangible cultural heritage in China brooks no delay.

The Recommendations further identifies the goal, guiding principle and basic approach of China in the protection of intangible cultural heritage. Our goal in this respect is to rally the efforts from all walks of life and gradually establish a full-fledged system of Chinese characteristics on the protection of intangible cultural heritage, so that precious and endangered intangible cultural heritage of great historical, cultural and scientific values can be effectively protected, promoted and carried forward. Our guiding principle is summarized as “protection as priority, rescue as primacy, rational utilization, and inheritance for development”. And our basic approach is “government leadership, social participation, clarification of duty & responsibility, combination of forces, as well as long-term planning, implementation by steps, integrating priorities with entirety, and emphasis on effect and efficiency”.

The Recommendations also requires the adoption of a series of measures to formulate an intangible cultural heritage protection system of Chinese characteristics, including:

A. Thorough and in-depth general investigation, which is a cornerstone to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. The investigation should make the best of modern means in order to keep an authentic, systematic and comprehensive record of intangible cultural heritage and establish related archives and databases. It should also help completing the general picture of intangible cultural heritage among various locations and ethnic groups in China, such as its variety, quantity, distribution, status quo, preservation and existing problems.

B. Through the formulation of standard criteria and scientific assessments, gradually establish an inventory system of intangible heritage masterpieces on national, provincial, municipal and county levels. While national masterpieces of intangible cultural heritage will be identified and proclaimed by the State Council, masterpieces of the provincial, municipal and county levels will be determined by corresponding levels of government and later reported to their higher levels of government for documentation. At present, the Provisionary Measures on the Application and Identification of National Masterpieces of Intangible Cultural Heritage has already been formulated and publicized.

C. Strengthen the research, identification, preservation and dissemination of intangible cultural heritage. To this end, it is recommended that cultural departments and agencies, scientific research institutes, colleges, universities and experts be organized to conduct in-depth studies on major theoretical and pragmatic issues and thus scientifically appraise and identify the intangible cultural heritage. Effective measures should also been taken for the storage of materials and artifacts related to intangible cultural heritage.

D. Establish scientific and effective transmission mechanisms for intangible cultural heritage. For those listed intangible cultural heritage masterpieces at various levels, such impetus as nomination, title-conferring, awards and subsidies should be used to encourage masterpiece successors or groups to transmit the heritage, and social education and schooling should become conduits for the cultivation of successors.

The Recommendations calls upon governments at various levels to enhance their leadership and incorporate the protection of intangible cultural heritage into its major working agenda, into the overall strategy of economic growth and social development and into its framework of cultural development. Formulation of statutes and regulations on the protection of intangible cultural heritage should be timely, legislative infrastructure including policies and measures should be stepped up, and great attention should be given to the protection of intellectual property rights derived from intangible cultural heritage. Governments at various levels should increase their financial input in the protection of intangible cultural heritage and actively guide and encourage individuals, companies and social organizations to invest in and support the protection of intangible cultural heritage. And capacity building for the team of protectors should be enhanced, including upgrading the capabilities and competence of personnel currently engaged in this work through planned training, and cultivation of specialized professionals by fully utilizing research institutes and higher learning establishments which have advantageous edges in talents and scientific research.

The Recommendations requires that government play a leading role in the establishment of a coordinated and effective guiding mechanism and extensively absorb the civil society in the work. The Ministry of Culture, as a focal point, will collaborate with other departments to formulate an Inter-ministerial Joint Committee on China's protection of intangible cultural heritage, which will address major issues in a coordinated way. Experts advisory institutions and systems of examination and supervision should also be established. The “Project of Protecting China's Ethnic and Folk Culture”, as an important component of the overall protection agenda, should be carried on in a accumulative manner, gathering experiences for the establishment of a mature system of protection with Chinese characteristics.

The Recommendations emphasizes that the important role of intangible cultural heritage in the traditional cultural education and patriotic education for the younger generation should be brought into full play. Public cultural institutions at various levels, such as libraries, cultural centers, museums and science and technology museums, should actively engage themselves in the dissemination and exhibition of intangible cultural heritage. Educational departments and schools at various levels and of various kinds need to incorporate into their curriculum the fine intangible cultural heritage representing strong national spirits and folk features. At the same time, media, such as the press, the publishing community, radio, TV and internet, should be encouraged and supported to publicize knowledge about intangible cultural heritage and its protection, cultivate the public awareness in this regard and help bring about a favorable environment for the protection of intangible cultural heritage.