The Living
Traditions
103 intangible cultural heritage items across 8 domains — from UNESCO-inscribed arts to local folk practices.
103
Total Items
44
UNESCO Inscribed
8
Categories
4
Endangered
Spring Festival
春节
China's most important traditional festival, marking the lunar new year with family reunions, feasts, and vibrant…
Twenty-Four Solar Terms
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A traditional Chinese calendar system dividing the year into 24 seasonal segments that guide agriculture, diet, and…
Guqin and Its Music
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An ancient seven-stringed zither beloved by scholars for over 3,000 years, expressing the deepest ideals of Chinese…
Taijiquan (Tai Chi)
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A graceful martial art blending slow movement, meditation, and philosophy. Practiced worldwide for health and spiritual…
Kunqu Opera
昆曲
One of China's oldest opera forms, known for its exquisite poetry, elegant movements, and profound influence on all…
Nanjing Yunjin Brocade
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A luxurious silk brocade woven with gold threads on traditional looms, once reserved for Chinese emperors and court…
Wooden Arch Bridge Construction
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Self-supporting wooden bridges built without nails using interlocking beams — a masterpiece of Chinese structural…
Acupuncture and Moxibustion
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A 2,500-year-old medical practice using fine needles to restore energy balance. Now practiced worldwide for pain relief…
Peking Opera
京剧
China's most celebrated opera form, blending music, dance, acrobatics, and elaborate costumed performance into a…
Chinese Shadow Puppetry
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Ancient storytelling art using carved leather puppets and light, combining craftsmanship, music, and oral tradition for…
Tibetan Opera (Ache Lhamo)
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A sacred Tibetan performing art blending masked dance, Buddhist chanting, and colorful costumes — performed for…
Sichuan Opera
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A spectacular regional opera famous for its lightning-fast face-changing masks, lively humor, and acrobatic…
Nanyin Music
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A living fossil of Tang Dynasty court music, preserved in Fujian's Minnan region with ancient instruments and elegant…
Xi'an Wind and Percussion Ensemble
西安鼓ä¹
A majestic wind and percussion tradition from ancient Xi'an, preserving Tang Dynasty court music with powerful drums…
Hua'er Folk Songs
花儿
High-pitched folk songs from China's northwest mountains, improvised at annual festivals by singers from multiple…
Dragon Dance
舞龙
A spectacular dance where performers bring a giant dragon to life with coordinated movements — a symbol of power,…
Lion Dance
舞狮
An acrobatic dance performance where two dancers become a lion, bringing good luck and warding off evil during…
Yangge Dance
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A lively northern Chinese folk dance with colorful costumes, fans, and waist drums — originally a rice-planting song…
Chinese Paper-Cut
剪纸
An ancient folk art of cutting intricate designs from paper — window decorations, wedding ornaments, and symbols of…
Shu Embroidery
蜀绣
A 2,000-year-old embroidery style from Sichuan, known for its smooth stitches, vibrant colors, and photo-realistic silk…
Longquan Celadon
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Jade-green ceramics from Zhejiang, treasured for over 1,600 years as one of China's most celebrated contributions to…
Cloisonné Enamel
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A brilliant enameling technique from the Ming Dynasty, creating intricate patterns with metal wires and colored glass…
Suzhou Embroidery
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A refined silk embroidery style known for thread-splitting fineness, subtle colors, and the miraculous double-sided…
Chinese Kite Making
风ç制作
An elegant craft of bamboo and silk — kites that soar as flying works of art, with Weifang as the global kite capital.
Sichuan Bamboo Weaving
竹编
Transforming bamboo into paper-thin strips woven into baskets, screens, and intricate artworks — a harmony of nature…
Chinese Lacquer Art
漆器
Ancient art of tree-sap coating creating glass-hard, lustrous surfaces — used for ritual vessels, screens, and…
Chinese Seal Engraving
篆刻
The art of carving characters into stone seals — a miniature art form combining calligraphy, composition, and…
Huishan Clay Sculpture
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Playful clay figurines from Wuxi, famous for the smiling "Da Afu" (Big Lucky Boy) — a symbol of joy and good fortune.
Suzhou Pingtan
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A refined Suzhou art of storytelling through song, where a single performer narrates epic tales with pipa accompaniment.
Cross-Talk (Xiangsheng)
相声
China's beloved comedic dialogue tradition — rapid-fire wit, wordplay, mimicry, and social commentary between two…
Sichuan Qingyin
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A delicate female vocal art from Sichuan, known for its clear, ornamented singing and bamboo percussion accompaniment.
Dragon Boat Racing
赛龙舟
A thrilling water sport where teams race dragon-decorated boats to the beat of drums — now a global phenomenon with…
Chinese Chess (Xiangqi)
象棋
China's ancient strategy board game, played by millions in parks and teahouses — a battle of wits across a…
Baduanjin Qigong
八段锦
Eight gentle, flowing exercises combining movement and breath — China's most popular health practice for vitality and…
Mazu Belief and Customs
妈祖信俗
Worship of the Chinese sea goddess Mazu, rooted in Fujian and spreading across the world — a blend of compassion,…
Chinese Tea Ceremony
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The ancient art of preparing and serving tea — a meditative practice embodying harmony, respect, and the appreciation…
Qixi Festival
七夕节
China's romantic festival celebrating the once-a-year reunion of star-crossed lovers, with customs of prayer,…
Lantern Festival
元宵节
A festival of light marking the end of Spring Festival — lantern displays, riddles, sweet rice balls, and dragon…
Chinese Herbal Medicine
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A sophisticated system of herbal healing with thousands of formulas, rooted in Daoist philosophy and millennia of…
Tuina Massage
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A therapeutic Chinese massage system combining rhythmic compression, meridian theory, and joint manipulation for…
Chinese Wrestling (Shuai Jiao)
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China's ancient martial art of wrestling, emphasizing speed and technique over brute strength — a military art turned…
Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang
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A grand musical tradition from Xinjiang blending folk songs, dances, and instrumental music — the cultural soul of…
Urtiin Duu — Mongolian Long Song
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A breathtaking Mongolian vocal tradition of sustained notes and elaborate ornamentation — the soulful voice of the…
Chinese Calligraphy
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The supreme Chinese visual art — writing characters with brush and ink as an expression of the writer's inner spirit…
Chinese Timber-framed Architecture
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Ancient building tradition using interlocking wooden brackets without nails — a seismic-resistant architectural…
Sericulture and Silk Craftsmanship
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The 5,000-year-old process of cultivating silkworms and weaving silk — a Chinese invention that changed the world…
Farmers' Dance of the Korean Ethnic Group
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A jubilant Korean-Chinese dance with spinning hat ribbons, drumming, and singing — originally a harvest ritual, now a…
Gesar Epic Tradition
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The world's longest living oral epic — over a million verses recounting the heroic deeds of King Gesar, sung by…
Grand Song of the Dong Ethnic Group
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A breathtaking polyphonic choral tradition from Guizhou — the Dong people's multi-part harmonies sung without…
Manas Epic
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The Kyrgyz people's 500,000-verse heroic epic, recounting the legendary exploits of Manas and his descendants over…
Mongolian Khoomei (Throat Singing)
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A mesmerizing overtone singing technique where Mongolian vocalists produce multiple pitches at once, mimicking the…
Regong Arts
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A vibrant school of Tibetan Buddhist art from Qinghai — thangka painting, murals, sculpture, and applique in…
Xuan Paper Making
宣纸制作技艺
The world's finest calligraphy paper, made by hand through 108 steps over three years — "paper that lasts a thousand…
Yueju Opera (Cantonese Opera)
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Guangdong's vibrant opera tradition combining martial arts, acrobatics, and Cantonese singing — beloved across…
Engraved Block Printing
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The world's oldest printing technology — carved wooden blocks producing the earliest printed books, including the 868…
Meshrep
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A vibrant Uyghur community gathering of music, dance, poetry, and moral education — the living classroom of…
Watertight-bulkhead Technology of Fujian Ships
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The revolutionary shipbuilding innovation of watertight compartments that made the Maritime Silk Road and Zheng He's…
Wooden Movable-type Printing
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The 11th-century invention that revolutionized printing — reusable character blocks that accelerated knowledge…
Hezhen Yimakan Storytelling
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The endangered oral storytelling tradition of China's Hezhen people — multi-voice narratives of hunting, fishing, and…
Chinese Zhusuan (Abacus)
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The ancient calculation method using an abacus — bead-based arithmetic so fast it can outperform electronic…
Lum Medicinal Bathing (Sowa Rigpa)
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A Tibetan medicinal bathing therapy using herbal decoctions and hot springs, rooted in 2,000-year-old Sowa Rigpa…
Ong Chun / Wangchuan Ceremony
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A Minnan ritual of sending a decorated boat to sea or fire to dispel plague and misfortune — shared heritage across…
Traditional Tea Processing Techniques
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The comprehensive craft of producing China's six tea categories — from green to pu'er — an art of nature,…
Qiang New Year Festival
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The Qiang people's most sacred festival — three days of ancestor worship, epic poetry, circle dances, and bonfires in…
Traditional Li Textile Techniques
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The Li people's textile tradition on Hainan — cotton cultivation, natural indigo dyeing, waist-loom weaving, and…
Guzheng (Chinese Zither)
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A 21-string plucked zither beloved across China — from ancient court music to modern concert halls.
Erhu (Chinese Two-String Fiddle)
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China's most expressive bowed instrument — a two-stringed fiddle capable of heart-wrenching melodies and virtuosic…
Pipa (Chinese Lute)
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A pear-shaped lute from the Silk Road — one of China's most virtuosic instruments with techniques that paint musical…
Dizi (Chinese Bamboo Flute)
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China's iconic bamboo flute with its distinctive buzzing membrane — a bright, versatile voice in every Chinese…
Ansai Waist Drum Dance
安塞腰鼓
An explosive dance of drumming, leaping, and shouting from the Loess Plateau — the fierce heartbeat of northern…
Dragon Lantern Dance
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A luminous night dance where a glowing dragon weaves through streets, requiring dozens of performers in perfect…
Chinese Kung Fu (Wushu)
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China's vast martial arts heritage — hundreds of styles from Shaolin to Wudang, combining combat, philosophy, and…
Cuju (Ancient Chinese Football)
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The earliest form of football, recognized by FIFA — a Chinese military sport turned court entertainment over 2,000…
Chinese New Year Woodblock Prints
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Colorful folk woodblock prints pasted on doors at New Year — each region's unique style of auspicious imagery and…
Dagu (Drum Storytelling)
大鼓书
A narrative art of drum-accompanied storytelling where the performer sings historical tales while punctuating action…
Dongyang Wood Carving
东阳木雕
Zhejiang's masterful wood carving tradition — intricate high-relief scenes of opera, myth, and nature carved into…
Chinese Bone Setting
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A hands-on orthopedic tradition using manipulation, herbal plasters, and splinting — healing bones through touch and…
Traditional Qigong
气功
A mind-body practice combining movement, breath, and meditation — China's comprehensive system for cultivating life…
Chinese Dietary Therapy
食疗
The Chinese art of healing through food — therapeutic soups, congees, and seasonal eating regimens based on millennia…
Thangka Painting
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Sacred Tibetan Buddhist paintings on cotton and silk, created with mineral pigments and gold to strict iconographic…
Jingdezhen Porcelain
景德镇瓷器
China's porcelain capital for a millennium — the world-renowned center of blue-and-white ceramics and imperial…
Chinese Knotting
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Decorative silk cord knots symbolizing good fortune — a handcraft art where each knot shape carries deep cultural…
Dough Figurine Art
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Colorful figures sculpted from rice dough in minutes — a vanishing temple fair tradition of miniature folk art.
Sugar Painting
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A folk art of pouring hot liquid sugar into edible animal shapes — a sweet treat that doubles as performance art.
Shadow Puppet Carving Craft
皮影雕刻
The meticulous craft of carving leather into articulated shadow puppets — each character is a miniature sculpture…
Mongolian Felt Art
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A grassland craft of sculpting and embroidering sheep's wool felt into rugs, yurt decorations, and symbolic animal…
Dai Peacock Dance
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An elegant Dai ethnic dance imitating peacock movements, performed in elaborate costumes during the Water-Splashing…
Tibetan Guozhuang Dance
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A Tibetan circle dance of linked arms and synchronized steps around bonfires, blending song and movement on the high…
Yi Alili Dance (Axi Tiaoyue)
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A Yi ethnic courtship dance performed under the full moon with springing steps, lively music, and colorful pleated…
Uyghur Sanam Dance
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A spirited Uyghur dance of expressive hands, shoulder movements, and quick footwork performed at weddings throughout…
Huangmei Opera
黄梅æˆ
A gentle, lyrical opera form from Anhui known for romantic stories, simple performance, and the beloved classic "Tian…
Henan Opera (Yuju)
豫剧
China's most widely performed regional opera with powerful vocals, bold storytelling, and the largest audience of any…
Yue Opera
越剧
Zhejiang's graceful opera form known for all-female casts, lyrical singing, and beloved romantic classics like "The…
Qin Opera (Qinqiang)
秦腔
The oldest surviving Chinese opera form from Shaanxi, known for its loud, vigorous style and distinctive bangzi clapper…
Kuaiban (Clapper Talk)
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A rapid-fire oral art of rhyming verse accompanied by bamboo clappers — Beijing's temple fair tradition of linguistic…
Tanci (Ballad Singing)
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A Suzhou storytelling art where performers sing narrative verses in dialect while accompanying themselves on pipa and…
Pingshu (Storytelling)
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A solo oral storytelling art where a master narrator creates entire worlds using only voice, gesture, a fan, and a…
Sanda (Chinese Kickboxing)
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China's full-contact combat sport blending punches, kicks, and throws — the modern fighting application of…
Traditional Chinese Archery
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An ancient martial art combining archery with Confucian ritual — one of the Six Arts of noble education since the…
Duanquan (Short Punch Boxing)
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A Hebei martial art of short, explosive strikes and close-range combat — power generated from compact movements and…
Cupping Therapy
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An ancient suction therapy using heated cups to increase blood flow, relieve pain, and promote healing — now globally…
Guasha Scraping Therapy
刮痧
A healing technique of scraping the skin to release toxins and improve circulation — a Ming Dynasty folk remedy still…
TCM Four Diagnostic Methods
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The four foundational TCM diagnostic pillars — inspection, listening, inquiry, and pulse palpation — codified over…
Explore the Network
Each tradition connects to masters, regions, dynasties, and festivals. Discover the living network of heritage.