Piecing together a tribute to traditions

Since its official opening in 2020, Yongqing Fang's intangible cultural heritage district has earned national acclaim. That same year, the "Guangzhou Old City, New Vitality Cultural Heritage Tour", which begins in Yongqing Fang, was named one of 12 national intangible cultural heritage-themed tourist routes by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Four years ago, Wang Xinyuan, a city-level inheritor of Cantonese embroidery, introduced his art to Yongqing Fang by opening a studio that reimagines tradition.

Determined to take embroidery beyond the picture frame, Wang makes modern items — scarves, brooches and handbags — that blend classic techniques with elements of oil painting, sculpture and photography.

Embroidery subjects, previously rooted in flowers and birds and now ranging from famous artworks and bronze relics to anime, are taking Cantonese embroidery to new artistic realms.

"Yongqing Fang has become a cultural window," Wang says. "It preserves Guangzhou's beauty while keeping our heritage alive."

At the district's entrance, a bold red facade marks the lion dance workshop run by Zhao Weibin, a fifth-generation inheritor of Zhao family lion dancing, and president of the Guangzhou Dragon and Lion Dance Association.

"This red is unmistakably ours," Zhao says. "It embodies Lingnan (southern China) culture."

Inside, lion-themed figurines, jewelry, and mugs surround a glowing LED emblem while a small cafe serves coffee and cakes decorated with lion motifs — perfect for social media, Zhao says. Upstairs, visitors will find a towering lion head, motion-sensing robot competitions and hands-on crafting spaces.

In May 2022, Guangzhou's bureau of culture, radio, television and tourism unveiled a plan to strengthen the protection of intangible cultural heritage, emphasizing clustering as a key strategy. It aimed to embed heritage in tourist sites, museums, schools, shopping malls and communities to solidify its place in everyday life.