Saving the threatened cultural heritage in Inner Mongolia

(chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2015-11-26

Inner Mongolia region has begun a project for recording its national intangible cultural heritage especially the endangered ones through the voices of their inheritors, who play a key role in maintaining the heritage of the past through oral recitation, before it fades away they slowly pass away.

There were previously 42 of these people who are considered inheritors of these national cultural heritages, but five of them have passed away, while a third of those remaining are above 60, so there is a pressing need for the heritage recording project, which will give priority to those 70 or older and those below 70 but in poor health. Over the last two months, the project staff members have recorded interviews with eight of them, including the craftsmen and artists of traditional music and costumes, with the interviews covering their life experience, skills to keep it true to life.

Each of the elderly inheritors did an interview of more than five hours and the interview materials -- audio, visual and written -- will be included in Inner Mongolia’s cultural heritage database.

Performers from Inner Mongalian Military Area Command's art troupe perform a Mongolian dance on Sept 15, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]