Huanjiang promotes cultural heritage inheritance, protection

Bamboo hats of the Huanjiang Maonan ethnic group. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

In recent years, Huanjiang Maonan autonomous county has taken various measures to promote the inheritance and protection of intangible cultural heritages, carrying forward the characteristic culture of Maonan ethnic group through excavation, sorting, publicity, and promotion efforts.

As of the end of 2019, Huanjiang has registered a total of 1,442 intangible cultural heritages, 152 immovable cultural relics, and collected more than 500 movable cultural relics for museums. Among them, two items were included on national-level intangible cultural heritage protection lists, four items were included on autonomous region-level intangible cultural heritage protection lists, and seven were included on municipal-level intangible cultural heritage protection lists. The county has also established three intangible cultural heritage protection work platforms for bamboo hat weaving skills, Maonan Feitao, and Maonan folk songs.

Huanjiang has established a leading group for the protection of ethnic traditional culture to provide support in terms of manpower, material resources, financial resources, and policies. Approximately 20 million yuan ($3.05 million) of funds have been invested to carry out the protection and inheritancee of the county's intangible cultural heritages and cultural relics.

In addition, funds are allocated to grant a monthly subsidy ranging from 800 yuan to 1,500 yuan to art inheritors at the national and autonomous region level to stimulate their enthusiasm for creativity and innovation.

A number of venues spotlighting Maonan culture, such as the National Culture Plaza, the Maonan New Museum, and the Bamboo Hat Art Center, have been built. All 145 villages (communities) in the county have built comprehensive cultural service centers.

The county has 25 cultural volunteer teams, 196 amateur art teams, 106 amateur sports teams, more than 30 rural dragon and lion teams, as well as more than 1,500 cultural talents. According to statistics, Huanjiang has held 10 training courses on bamboo hat weaving skills, two training courses on mask carving, as well as two training courses on the singing and dancing of the Maonan ethnic group in recent years, cultivating more than 400 inheritors.

At present, a large number of cultural elements of the Maonan ethnic group, such as songs, dances, operas, fine arts, handicrafts, and traditional sports, have been systematically explored, sorted out, as well as protected.

In addition, the county has increased its publicity campaigns through newspapers, television, radio, and new media, displaying the results of its intangible cultural heritage protection efforts.