On January 15, the launch ceremony of the first Guangzhou-Foshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Week was held in Liwan, Guangzhou. A series of activities, including an intangible cultural heritage market, the release of intangible cultural heritage souvenirs, the exhibition of intangible cultural heritage masterpieces, and intangible cultural heritage handcraft experience were held in WONDERLAND Huadiwan Life Museum.

This is a demonstration zone that Guangzhou-Foshan jointly built excellent traditional culture heritage and innovation and one of the measure that the Liwan, Chancheng and Nanhai jointly created.. It will explore a new mode of Guangzhou-Foshan intangible cultural heritage protection, development and cooperation, also utilize the intangible cultural heritage resources, and eventually promote a higher level of Guangzhou-Foshan integration.

The launch ceremony of the first Guangzhou-Foshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Week was held in Liwan, Guangzhou. (Nanfang Plus/Chen Meng)

Intangible culutral heritage feast between two cities

The event comprises a series of activities, including an opening ceremony, a dual-city (Guangzhou-Foshan) intangible cultural heritage market, a release of dual-city intangible cultural heritage souvenirs, a discussion on the innovation and development of Guangzhou-Foshan intangible cultural heritage, an exhibition of intangible heritage masters. In addition, one intangible cultural heritage experience week and a dual-city photographer shot intangible cultural heritage action were included.

The scene of an immersive intangible cultural heritage handcraft experience event. (Nanfang Plus/Chen Meng)

At the launch ceremony, the dragon dance took the lead, igniting a festive and lively atmosphere for the New Year. The creative dance of the Nanhai lion dance finished the ceremony, winning a round of applause from the public. The certificate issuance ceremony for the intangible cultural heritage inheritors of Liwan and Nanhai was also held on the scene.

The creative Nanhai Lion dance has won applause from the public. (Nanfang Plus/Chen Meng)

The market experience activities and intangible cultural heritage works exhibition would last for a week. The market was divided into five zones. For instance, the Nanhai Huazhang Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Area, the Delicacies Experience Area, the Craftwork Exhibition Area, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Free Diagnosis Area, the Centennial Legacy Brand Exhibition Area. In total, there are 40 Guangzhou-Foshan intangible cultural heritage booths. In the inner hall, four Nanhai intangible cultural heritage projects, including gold foil forging technique, Xiangyun Silk, Pingzhou traditional jade making technique and Nanhai rattan weaving were held.

Intangible cultural heritage market experience activities and intangible cultural heritage works exhibition have kicked off. (Nanfang Plus/Chen Meng)

In 2024, Guangdong Provincial Cultural Tourism Department announced the results of Guangdong intangible cultural heritage souvenirs, among the 100 products selected. A total of 5 intangible cultural heritage souvenirs in Nanhai and Liwan were selected, including gift box from Liwan, Lingnan Lion Lion series products from Nanhai, rattan handbags, green plum wine from Kiu Kiang Shuang Zheng Museum, and Xiqiao cake - one of the "Four famous cakes in Guangdong". Accordingly, 5 pieces of intangible cultural heritage souvenirs with both aesthetic and practical features were released at the opening ceremony, promoting intangible cultural heritage into thousands of households.

A joint culture and tourism demonstration zone to boost integration between Foshan and Guangzhou

Guangzhou and Foshan are closely related in geography, people and culture. And the people of two places have close exchanges and strong friendship. In 2023, Liwan, Chancheng and Nanhai were jointly selected as the construction unit list of the national culture and tourism industry integrated development demonstration zone.

The fifth batch of representative inheritors of Nanhai were awarded certificates. (Nanfang Plus/Chen Meng)

Wang Yunting, deputy head of Liwan Government, said that a series of intangible cultural heritage projects are the common cultural source of Liwan and Nanhai. The two places jointly hold the first Guangzhou-Foshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Week, which is a specific measure based on reality, giving full play to advantages, and striving to create a national demonstration zone for the integration of cultural industry and tourism industry. It aims to provide a platform for exchanges and cooperation for the intangible cultural heritage inheritors of the two places, and promote the public to understand and love intangible cultural heritage.

"We sincerely invite Guangzhou citizens to come to Nanhai to experience intangible cultural heritage!" Liang Huiyan, executive vice minister of the Propaganda Department of Nanhai District Committee and director of the Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film, Tourism and Sports of Nanhai District, said that Nanhai is holding the "Enjoy Nanhai for 60 Days, Wish you a Happy New Year" - the Nanhai New Year cultural tourism and shopping season activities. "We welcome you to visit Xiqiao Mountain to enjoy the flowers, experience the lion culture in Wong Fei-hung's hometown, experience the night economy in Qiandeng Lake area, and to take a night cruise in Lishui."

He Fei, director of the Guangzhou Cultural Heritage Department of the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film and Tourism, said that the intangible cultural heritage shows the profound history and culture of Guangzhou and Foshan, allowing the two cities to keep pace with the times and memories, also for people to appreciate nostalgia. The first Guangzhou-Foshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Week jointly held by Liwan and Nanhai is a new exploration of Guangzhou and Foshan to promote the development of intangible cultural heritage cooperation to intercity cooperation, which deserves recognition.

On January 15, a symposium on the innovation and development of Guangzhou-Foshan intangible cultural heritage was also held at the event. Intangible cultural heritage inheritors, cultural associations, and experts and scholars from communication institutions gathered to discuss how to use intangible cultural heritage to help tell the story of Guangzhou and Foshan comprehensive integration.

Reporter | Rouly

Revisor | Eddie, Lynn

Photo | Nanfang Plus