Traditional crafts and healing arts find new purpose

Chongqing has also arranged more than 30 related activities, including themed drone and light shows, a heritage-themed cruise and a promotional caravan parade. Heritage experiences are being connected with scenic areas, hot springs and theaters. At the same time, consumption promotions and livestreaming sessions featuring heritage-inspired products seek to bring traditional culture closer to the market.

Yang Erlang, known as the "one-handed batik artist", carefully paints traditional Miao patterns onto cloth at the exhibition. She worked with Cheng Hao, a fellow Miao batik inheritor from Danzhai county in Guizhou province, on several pieces. After losing her right hand in an accident at 40, Yang returned to the craft in 2009 and has continued making batik. Her granddaughter, Hou Shuyan, who grew up watching her work, is now studying fashion design and hopes to follow in her footsteps.

For Cheng, the patterns painted on cloth are more than decoration. They carry stories and memories passed down through generations.

Batik has a history of more than 2,000 years in China, Cheng says. The Miao tradition was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage items in 2006.

The process begins with beeswax extracted from natural honeycombs. After melting it, artisans apply the wax to fabric with a specialized tool called a wax knife, which lets them draw intricate patterns by hand.

The cloth is then dyed with indigo extracted from a local plant. Areas covered with wax resist the dye, while the uncovered sections turn blue. When the fabric is boiled, the wax melts away, revealing white patterns against a blue background.

"People of the Miao ethnic group traditionally had a spoken language but no written script, so many of the patterns in our batik represent words and stories passed down from generation to generation," Cheng says.

Bird motifs are particularly prominent in the Miao communities around Danzhai, which Cheng says fascinate overseas audiences.

Elsewhere, a 720-degree immersive presentation blends Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Chongqing, and Dazu stone carving, a traditional craft recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. It also features scenes from a narrative relief at the Dazu site, bringing its historical and cultural significance to visitors through digital technology.

The exhibit is part of a technology-themed section covering nearly 1,200 square meters and featuring 11 installations. The organizers have designed the displays as a continuous visitor experience, combining immersive screenings, interactive installations and demonstrations of traditional techniques.

"We want people to be able to understand, experience, and share intangible cultural heritage," says Wang Dong, manager of the tech exhibition's arrangement.

Many aspects of traditional craftsmanship and cultural memory are difficult for inheritors to explain fully through words alone, while technology offers another way to bring these traditions closer to the public, he adds.

Other displays use infrared-based interaction, a digital loom to demonstrate silk weaving, and AI-powered image recognition to engage visitors with traditional patterns and artwork.

Yet, Wang emphasizes, the most important thing is to respect the culture.

"Technology changes every day, but culture has its own continuity and nourishment," he says. "Only when we understand the culture can we use technology to truly serve intangible cultural heritage."