Up close and personal with the past
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A large-scale exhibition of intangible cultural heritage is being held at the Beijing Exhibition Center, presenting various works from across the country.
Unveiled Wednesday and set to run until June 17, the exhibition includes 91 items, with more than 300 pieces on show.
Exhibits include famous and rare items such as an old snuff bottle with a painting on the inside, bodiless lacquer from Poyang, Jiangxi Province and beautiful Sichuan brocade.
Among the exhibits more than 200 pieces are from master craftsmen still alive today as well as several inheritors of certain items. Another 40 pieces are from the collection of China National Arts and Crafts Museum, each with a long history.
More than 100 craftsmen are attending the exhibition, enabling attendees to enjoy a first hand look at their skills.
The Intangible Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture, the organizer of the large-scale exhibition, has also initiated a project encouraging young people to learn and understand the guqin, a seven-string Chinese ancient zither.
Entitled Guqin Entering Schools and Universities, the project was launched Thursday in Beijing and includes a series of lectures and performances at schools and universities, with many children invited to attend and learn how to play the ancient instrument.
"While talking about protecting intangible cultural heritage, I think the youth mean the future," commented Tian Qing, vice director of the Protection Center of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. "We need to help the youth understand."
