NPC deputy from Gansu to advance suggestions for cultural relics protection

Xinhua

Updated: March 2, 2022

Su Bomin, a deputy to the National People’s Congress, also dean of Dunhuang Academy, has been working for three decades in the Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Dunhuang, Northwest China’s Gansu province.

Since the start of his service as NPC deputy, Su has put forward a series of suggestions on the protection of cultural relics (遗迹). During this year’s “two sessions”, the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, apart from working on the disciplinary construction of cultural relics protection, Su will also advance suggestions on facilitating the establishment of a key state research laboratory for cultural relics protection, aiming to merge the protection of cultural relics into the system of scientific and technological innovation and development.

“We regard the country’s emphasis on cultural relics protection as a great opportunity for our work,” said Su, “I hope cultural relics protection can be improved with the help of science and technology and the traditional Chinese culture will be better promoted.”

Su Bomin (R) checks the restoration of murals in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Northwest China’s Gansu province.

If you have ever traveled to Dali in Yunnan province, you may find that many white cloth decorations with blue patterns are hung on the wall in the local buildings. They are tie-dyed (扎染的) products of the Bai nationality.

The dyeing technique can date back to more than 1,000 years ago and reached its height during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The tie-dyes use hand-weaved white cloth and colors extracted (提取) from plants. People use needle and thread to make different folds in a cloth and put it into a dye jar several times until the color becomes darker. Common patterns are geometric shapes and flowers. The tradition was listed as a national non-material cultural heritage (遗产) in 2006.

“Tie-dyeing is a lifestyle that we want to pass on to others. It’s about harmony between the Bai people and nature,” Zhang Hanmin, 36, told China Daily. Now she still remembers watching the local women dry their half-made tie-dyes on the stone road as a child and helping her mother tie-dye to get pocket money.

During a visit to her home in Zhoucheng village, she noticed that few young Bai people were interested in their traditions, choosing instead cheaper, machine-made clothes. This made Zhang decide to move back to her village to help the Bai people revive (复兴) the ancient tie-dye technique. She quickly learned how to tie-dye using plants and draw traditional tie-dye patterns from the local elders. A 90-year-old craftsman taught her how to extracts blue color from a plant. Zhang was inspired by the man, who worked for more than an hour without drinking water or resting. “I’m touched by their attitude and love for nature, and it encourages me to insist when I face difficulties,” she said.

Zhang started a class to teach the kids and young people in Dali. She believes that “it’s like sowing a seed—who knows which of them will become an successor of our culture in the future”.

Traditional crafts have long been disappearing from countries across the world. With many crafts having been, or about to be, lost forever, people have realised the importance of preserving those that remain. Representatives of traditional crafts that have undergone a renaissance via protection are as follows:

Mongolian Hoomei （蒙古族呼麦）

Hoomei is a unique singing art created by the Mongolian ethnic group of China. In this art, a singer produces two distinct voices simultaneously to form a rarely seen multi-tone harmony. This technique was once around the edge of extinction, with merely one student majoring in Hoomei at Minzu University of China. However, with growing awareness of preservation, it is reviving. In May of 2006, Hoomei was included in China's National Intangible Cultural Heritage List and listed in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage later in 2009.

Japanese Kabuki （日本歌舞伎）

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese form of theater with roots tracing back to the Edo Period （江户时代）which is recognized as one of Japan's three major classical theaters along with Noh and Bunraku （能乐和木偶戏），and has been named as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Kabuki is rich in showmanship of exquisitely designed costumes, eye-catching make-up, strange wigs, and exaggerated actions. Theses movements convey special meaning to the audience; this is especially important since an old-fashioned language form is traditionally being used, which is difficult even for some Japanese to understand.

Croatian Gingerbread （克罗地亚姜饼）

The tradition of gingerbread making appeared in certain European churches during the Middle Ages and came to Croatia where it became a craft and were promoted as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. Gingerbread craftspeople are apt at quickly utilizing flour, sugar, water and baking soda plus secret spices. The gingerbread is shaped into moulds（模子），baked, dried and painted with edible colors. Each craftsperson decorates gingerbread in a specific way, often with pictures, small mirrors and poems or messages. The craft has been passed on from one generation to another for centuries, initially to men, but now to women as well and thus becoming a symbol of Croatian cultural identity.

Korean Kimchi Variation （朝鲜族泡菜亚种）

Kimchi is a spicy and sour side dish made by fermenting （发酵）vegetables - usually cabbage - with spices such as chili peppers, garlic and ginger. While it is common in South and North Korea, variations of kimchi arc gaining popularity around the world. South Korea has already received UNESCO recognition in 2013 and now the North wants too. Academic studies, however, have proved that they all share recipes rooted in the Chinese cuisine paocai.