Living Heritage
of China
A knowledge graph of 41 intangible cultural heritage traditions — exploring crafts, music, theater, festivals, medicine, and the people who keep China's living culture alive.
41
Heritage Items
19
UNESCO Items
15
Inheritors
18
Locations
Browse by Category
China classifies intangible heritage into eight categories. Each represents a unique dimension of living culture.
UNESCO Heritage
Items inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Spring Festival
China's most important traditional festival, marking the lunar new year with family reunions, feasts, and vibrant cultural celebrations.
Twenty-Four Solar Terms
A traditional Chinese calendar system dividing the year into 24 seasonal segments that guide agriculture, diet, and cultural practices.
Guqin and Its Music
An ancient seven-stringed zither beloved by scholars for over 3,000 years, expressing the deepest ideals of Chinese philosophy through music.
Taijiquan (Tai Chi)
A graceful martial art blending slow movement, meditation, and philosophy. Practiced worldwide for health and spiritual cultivation.
Kunqu Opera
One of China's oldest opera forms, known for its exquisite poetry, elegant movements, and profound influence on all Chinese theater.
Nanjing Yunjin Brocade
A luxurious silk brocade woven with gold threads on traditional looms, once reserved for Chinese emperors and court nobles.
Acupuncture and Moxibustion
A 2,500-year-old medical practice using fine needles to restore energy balance. Now practiced worldwide for pain relief and wellness.
Peking Opera
China's most celebrated opera form, blending music, dance, acrobatics, and elaborate costumed performance into a spectacular theatrical art.
Chinese Shadow Puppetry
Ancient storytelling art using carved leather puppets and light, combining craftsmanship, music, and oral tradition for over 2,000 years.
Living Masters
The inheritors and practitioners who dedicate their lives to preserving and transmitting these traditions.
Li Xiangting
Li Xiangting is one of China's most renowned guqin masters and a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. A student of the legendary...
Zhou Jinsong
Zhou Jinsong is a master weaver of Nanjing Yunjin brocade, working at the Nanjing Yunjin Research Institute. He began his apprenticeship at age 18 and...
Zhang Jun
Zhang Jun is a contemporary Kunqu Opera master and one of its most innovative ambassadors. A student of the legendary Kunqu artist Cai Zhengren, Zhang...
Cai Xiaoming
Cai Xiaoming is a master of Shu embroidery from Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Learning from her grandmother at age 12, she has spent over 50 years perfec...
Xu Chaoyun
Xu Chaoyun is a master celadon artisan from Longquan, Zhejiang Province. He spent decades researching and reviving the ancient "plum green" and "powde...
Wen Shizhen
Wen Shizhen is a senior practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbal pharmacology in Beijing. A descendant of a lineage of TCM doctors span...
Festivals & Seasons
Traditional festivals follow the lunar calendar and the rhythms of nature.