Every year’s second Saturday in June is China’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, and this year’s theme of celebration is “Connecting modern life and emitting new lustre”. Intangible cultural heritage embodies the continuous development of Chinese civilization, carries the Chinese people’s yearning for an even better life, and radiates everlasting vitality and creativity through generations, bringing aesthetic and recreational fun to our lives today. Up to now, China has 42 remarkable elements inscribed on the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage，whose quantities are ranked the first in the world.

 Upon the coming of the Cultural and Natural Heritage Day 2022, China Travel Course is launching a newly made video clip promoting Beijing’s intangible cultural heritage. Our host Bora, a tourism expert living in Beijing for 11 years, will take us to experience the fascinating local cultural heritage in four areas: Tai Ji Quan (Tai Chi), Dough Sculpture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Cloisonné.

With a history of more than 3,000 years as an urban settlement, including 800 years of being the capital, Beijing is a city abundant in intangible cultural heritage resources. In this video, Bora will begin the day tour from  the early morning Tai Ji Quan (Tai Chi) practice in the Temple of Earth Park to feel the balance of ‘yin’ and ‘yang’, and learn about the unity of humanity and nature in Chinese philosophy. Next, he’ll walk into Tongrentang to learn about Traditional Chinese Medicine and receive some traditional treatments. Bora will also take a stroll in hutongs to meet a master of dough sculpture and try to discover the magic of this traditional Chinese handicraft. His final stop will be the Beijing Enamel Factory, a place where the craftsmen will show us the exquisite art of cloisonné. The production process of cloisonné is an icon of traditional Chinese craftsmanship, a combination of traditional techniques of bronze and porcelain firing and fine touches of traditional painting and sculpture.

For more videos and knowledge about China’s culture and tourism, check out the China Travel Course official website.