Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) — Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) workshops have become a powerful engine for rural development in China.
According to official data, there are currently over 11,000 such workshops in the country, which play an active role in preserving and developing traditional crafts, creating jobs and stimulating the local economy.
These workshops are located in 2,005 county-level administrative areas, including 670 formerly poor counties and 135 key counties that received assistance under the national rural revitalization program, and have provided employment to more than 1.2 million people in related industries.
Notably, more than 4,300 workshops operate directly in villages, providing flexible working conditions that are particularly suitable for the elderly, women and people with disabilities – they can work from their place of residence and receive daily wages.
The Chinese government has been actively promoting the role of intangible cultural heritage in cultural preservation and economic development. In December 2021, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and other central government departments issued a regulation specifically regulating the establishment and operation of ICH workshops, focusing on cultivating talented successors, creating jobs, and supporting the development of traditional crafts.
At the local level, 18 provincial-level administrative units have put forward similar policies. These policies concern the certification of ICH workshops, the management of these establishments, the provision of financial and marketing assistance to them, and the regulation of the allocation of necessary resources to ensure their development.
In Zhejiang Province, for example, a “workshop plus farmers” mechanism was established in Xiaoshan District, whereby the provincial-level NCI workshop signed contracts to supply Xiaoshan pickled radish, the craft of which is listed in the NCI register of the said province, with more than 40,000 local farmers, resulting in the production value of this delicacy reaching 300 million yuan (about 42 million US dollars) in 2024.
As of March 2025, the number of artisans who inherit state-level intangible cultural heritage in China has increased to nearly 4,000. -0-