China's Hezhen Yimakan storytelling inscribed on UNESCO Representative List

NEW DELHI -- The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at its 20th regular session decided to transfer China's "Hezhen Yimakan storytelling" from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

At the same time, based on the effectiveness of the protection of this heritage project, the committee decided to include the safeguarding program for Hezhen Yimakan storytelling in the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.

Following the successful transfer in 2024 of three Chinese elements, including Li textile techniques, this marks another successful transfer of a Chinese element from the Urgent Safeguarding List. It also represents the first time that an element has achieved both a transfer and an inscription on the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices simultaneously.

Hezhen Yimakan storytelling is an age-old oral tradition passed down through generations of the Hezhe ethnic group. Narrated in the Hezhe language and performed in a mixed prose-and-verse style, it conveys the group's history, heroic tales, fishing and hunting practices, rituals, and moral norms. Serving functions such as documenting history, educating younger generations and providing community entertainment, the tradition has retained its vitality over centuries.

Since its inscription on the Urgent Safeguarding List in 2011, various stakeholders, including bearers, community groups, research and educational institutions, intangible heritage protection centers and governments at different levels, have worked together with a community-centered approach. Their joint efforts have continuously enhanced the intergenerational transmission and visibility of the element.

In December 2023, when submitting the third periodic report on the safeguarding status of the element to UNESCO, China simultaneously submitted its request for the transfer of the element to the Representative List. The committee examined and approved the periodic report at its 19th session in December 2024, recognizing China's safeguarding efforts and encouraging continued community participation and practice to ensure the effective transmission of the element.

With the latest inscriptions, the total number of Chinese elements on UNESCO's Lists and Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage has risen to 45, including 40 on the Representative List, three on the Urgent Safeguarding List and two on the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.