In recent years, the intangible cultural heritage sector in Gansu Province has closely adhered to the mission of holding high the banner, uniting the people, nurturing new talent, revitalizing culture, and presenting a positive image. Rooted in the rich intangible cultural heritage resources of the Longyuan land (Gansu), the province has continuously improved its protection system, innovated transmission pathways, and deepened the integration of culture and tourism. By serving national strategies, Gansu has promoted the integration of intangible heritage into modern life, demonstrating vibrant vitality and lasting dynamism in preserving cultural continuity, serving people's livelihoods, and empowering development. The province's systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage has yielded fruitful results. Recently, a responsible official from the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism gave an exclusive interview to a journalist regarding the specific work carried out in the protection and development of intangible cultural heritage in Gansu.

Q: What categories of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) are there in Gansu? How is their conservation progressing?

A: Endowed with abundant ICH resources, Gansu is traversed by the ancient Silk Road and home to multiple ethnic groups living in harmony. Centuries of cultural accumulation have nurtured a rich array of intangible cultural heritage covering ten major categories: folk literature, traditional music, traditional dance, traditional opera, quyi (folk vocal storytelling), traditional sports (recreation and acrobatics), traditional fine arts, traditional craftsmanship, traditional Chinese medicine and folk customs, featuring prominent traits of diversified yet integrated development with distinctive charms of each category.

The Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism advances systematic protection of ICH by carrying out special programs for its preservation, inheritance and development, with relevant initiatives moving forward steadily. Statistics show that up to now, Gansu has accredited a total of 9,119 representative ICH items at all administrative levels and 14,227 representative inheritors. Among them, Hua'er Folk Songs, Huanxian Daoqing Shadow Puppetry and the Tianzhu Version of Gesar Epic have been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Specifically, the province boasts 83 national-level representative ICH items and 84 state-certified inheritors; 778 provincial-level items with 757 provincial inheritors; 2,447 prefecture-level items and 3,813 prefectural inheritors; as well as 5,811 county/district-level items and 9,573 county-level inheritors. A relatively complete four-tier ICH inventory system spanning national, provincial, prefectural and county levels has taken shape across Gansu.

Q: What laws and regulations has Gansu Province enacted to protect its intangible cultural heritage?

A: The Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism strictly implements the Intangible Cultural Heritage Law of the People's Republic of China and the Gansu Provincial Regulations on Intangible Cultural Heritage. It has formulated and issued the Measures for the Administration of Special Funds for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Gansu Province and the Interim Measures for the Recognition and Management of Provincial-Level Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshops in Gansu. Adhering to legal provisions, the department has consolidated government responsibilities, improved supporting systems, strengthened systematic protection, enhanced capacity for living transmission and dissemination, expanded space for appropriate utilization, and continuously reinforced the legal safeguards for ICH protection. Regular and comprehensive supervision is carried out across the province regarding legal education, law enforcement, and the implementation of ICH protection responsibilities, ensuring that problems are identified, responsibilities are pressed, rectifications are made, and the cause of ICH protection advances steadily and sustainably within the rule of law.

Q: What work has Gansu done to promote and market its intangible cultural heritage products?

A: The Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism supports inheritors in using methods such as “ICH + short videos” and “ICH + live streaming” to bring the intangible cultural treasures hidden deep in the mountains to national and global audiences through the cloud.

The “Four-Season ICH Shopping Month,” under the theme “Good ICH Products, New National-Chic,” organizes quarterly events including the ICH New Year Goods Shopping Month, the ICH Renewal Shopping Month, the ICH Summer Shopping Month, and the ICH National-Chic Shopping Month.

Relying on eight provincial-level cultural ecological protection zones in Gansu, the department comprehensively enhances the holistic protection of ICH and actively fosters a favorable social atmosphere for cultural ecological protection. Using 119 ICH workshops as a base, various approaches such as “ICH + cultural creativity + training + e?commerce + exhibition and sales + rural tourism” are employed to continuously promote ICH?driven rural revitalization, boost employment, and stimulate consumption.

ICH items have made striking appearances in major investment promotion and publicity events, with technological means used to showcase Gansu’s ICH, attracting widespread attention from domestic and international tourists.

Q: What efforts have been made to integrate intangible cultural heritage products into modern life?

A: The vitality of intangible cultural heritage lies in its integration into modern life. For many consecutive years, the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism has organized main venue events for the promotion, exhibition, and sale of ICH in Gansu under the themes “ICH Celebrates the Lunar New Year” and “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day.” In 2025, the documentary ICH in China: Gansu Chapter was filmed and broadcast during prime time on CCTV’s comprehensive channel. In 2026, three ICH items from Gansu shone brightly at the 2026 ICH Gala. The integration of ICH with tourism has been intensified, with a series of activities promoting ICH in scenic spots, communities, and schools, fully showcasing the unique charm of ICH to citizens and tourists. Four tourism routes in Gansu have been selected as national ICH-themed tourism routes. Master?apprentice activities are strongly supported, encouraging more young people to take up the mantle, ensuring that ancient crafts are not only preserved intact through intergenerational transmission but also imbued with innovation.

With systematic protection as its foundation, living transmission as its core, and cultural?tourism integration as its pathway, Gansu’s ICH has not only survived but thrived. It has gradually achieved a magnificent transformation from “hidden in the deep chamber unknown to the world” to “entering the homes of ordinary people,” painting a grand picture of “Ruyi Gansu · Colorful Intangible Cultural Heritage.”