Shanxi ICH and Arts and Crafts Expo opens in Pingyao Ancient City

The seventh Shanxi Intangible Cultural Heritage and Arts and Crafts Expo opened on Thursday in Pingyao Ancient City, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Shanxi province, bringing together more than 100 inheritors and over 80 representative ICH items.

Performances include Jiangzhou drum music, bamboo horse dancing, and lion dances. On display are crafts ranging from dough modeling, paper-cutting, and Duijin raised silk tapestry to brick carving, architectural techniques, New Year woodblock prints, and festive lanterns.

"I feel immensely proud to carry forward this intangible cultural heritage and to have the chance to perform in various places," said Gao Huimin, a 17-year-old apprentice in the bamboo horse dance tradition. Fellow apprentice Kang Huijue, 15, said she hoped more people would come to appreciate the art form.

Zhang Hongliang, a national-level inheritor of the Pingding earthenware craftsmanship, said a growing number of young people are learning to value traditional crafts and bring them into their daily lives.

Shanxi has 182 national-level ICH items and 198 national-level inheritors, both ranking third in the country, said Zhang Zhiren, deputy director of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. He said the province would use the event to further integrate culture and tourism and strengthen heritage protection.

Hosted by the department, the expo runs through Nov 16, alongside an exhibition on the Jinzhong Cultural Ecological Protection Zone, a national-level zone.

Chen Shuo contributed to this story.