Capital's carnival puts spotlight on heritage

Beijing kicked off its 2026 Cultural and Natural Heritage Day celebrations on June 11, with a three-day intangible cultural heritage carnival in the city's Tongzhou district, highlighting efforts to bring traditional culture closer to everyday life through fashion, technology and hands-on experiences.

The event marked the start of a broader series of heritage-themed activities taking place across the capital's 16 districts. Organized by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and the Tongzhou district government, the carnival aimed to present intangible cultural heritage as a living part of contemporary urban culture.

Guo Huaigang, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, said the city continues to strengthen the systematic protection and transmission of intangible cultural heritage while exploring new ways to engage younger audiences.

A highlight of the opening was a fashion show that reimagined traditional Chinese rubbing techniques on silk garments. The carnival also showcased how heritage can contribute to rural vitalization. Inheritors from outlying districts, including Mentougou, Pinggu, Miyun, and Yanqing, shared stories of how traditional crafts such as tie-dyeing, decorative steamed buns and local food specialties have created jobs and generated income in rural communities.

Technology companies joined the effort to expand heritage's reach. Lifestyle platform Meituan announced several initiatives developed with Beijing's culture and tourism authorities, including heritage-themed food livestreams, digital city guides and audio heritage content integrated into the company's bike-sharing service.

More than 20 time-honored Beijing brands and heritage food producers offered live demonstrations and tastings during the carnival, allowing visitors to sample traditional flavors from across the capital. Another exhibition area brought together nearly 40 heritage projects from Beijing and neighboring Tianjin and Hebei, featuring crafts such as cloisonne enamel, jade carving, Beijing embroidery, and filigree inlay.

Visitors were encouraged to move beyond observation with free workshops in kite painting, paper-cutting, and tie-dyeing, which proved particularly popular among families.

The celebrations extended far beyond the carnival itself. Around Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, observed nationwide on June 13 this year, districts across Beijing hosted heritage markets, exhibitions, educational programs, and community activities designed to attract residents of all ages.

Officials said the goal is to ensure that intangible cultural heritage remains a living cultural resource and continues to evolve while enriching daily life and supporting the city's broader cultural and tourism development.