Tradition finds a young voice
From opera to crafts, ICH showcase unites artists, youth and communities through creativity, mentorship and cultural exchange, Yang Feiyue reports in Hotan, Xinjiang.
Visitors can appreciate the Yanjing Bajue (Eight Imperial Handicrafts) items, such as exquisite cloisonne vessels, Tongrentang traditional Chinese medicine, and dough figurines. Many of the works by Beijing artists also incorporate Hotan elements. For instance, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Chinese ink brand Yidege has developed a special ink package featuring Hotan's mulberry paper elements.
At the Beijing booth, an ink artist from Yidege interacts with a local mulberry paper inheritor, Sun adds.
Beijing is one of the three regions, along with Tianjin and Anhui province, that have established permanent cultural spaces at the venue. Designed with both practicality and sustainability in mind, these booths not only serve as exhibition platforms but also as lasting bridges for cultural exchange.
Inside the Tianjin exhibition space, visitors were greeted with distinctive local heritage items, from intricate paper-cutting and tea soup brewed in giant copper teapots to Yangliuqing New Year woodblock prints and Goubuli (Go Believe) steamed buns.
"We have prepared detailed introductions for each heritage item, hands-on interactive installations, and numerous photo-worthy display points to create an immersive environment," says Yang Runze, founder of a cultural company that was commissioned to design the pavilion.
