The scenes of millions of Chinese stranded by the heavy snow but
eager to return home could actually be material for the Spring Festival to apply for "Intangible
Cultural Heritage" (ICH) status for the event, a folk customs
expert said.
A group has been established to prepare such an application,
according to Ye Chunsheng, a well-known folk customs expert and
professor at the Guangzhou-based Zhongshan University.
The Chinese Lunar New Year (Spring Festival), which starts on
Thursday, is the country's most important annual time for family
reunions. However, this year, unusually harsh weather severed
China's transport arteries, forcing millions of people to delay or
even cancel their trips home for the seven-day festival.
"People persisting in waiting for trains in the cold reflects
the importance that Chinese attach to the Spring Festival," said
Ye. "These are vivid materials for the ICH application."
Many ordinary Chinese, as well as some experts, support the
application of the Spring Festival for ICH, so as to preserve the
traditional Chinese culture and customs.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), an ICH should embody practices,
representations, expressions, knowledge and skills that
communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as
part of their cultural heritage.
As a member of the UNESCO 18-member inter-governmental committee
to safeguard ICH, China has been strengthening efforts in ICH
protection in the past few years.
Since 2001, several forms of artistry have been proclaimed by
UNESCO as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of
Humanity. These are Kun Qu, one of China's oldest forms of opera;
the Chinese zither or Guqin, a solo musical instrument dating back
3,000 years; Xinjiang Uygur Muqam, a blend of song, dance, folk and
classical music, and Long Song, a type of Mongolian lyrical
chant.
(Xinhua News Agency February 7, 2008)