On June 10, the Sixth Chengdu International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage was opened in Chengdu Intangible Cultural Heritage Park. Activities related to the first Culture and Natural Heritage Day were simultaneously launched. Liu Xiaofeng, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, announced the opening of the festival. Yin Li, Vice Secretary of Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Governor of Sichuan Province, Luo Shugang, Minister of the Ministry of Culture, and Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, sent congratulations.
Wang Dongming, Secretary of Sichuan Provincial Party Committee, and Yin Li, Vice Secretary of Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Governor of Sichuan Province, met with Liu Xiaofeng and Luo Shugang in Chengdu.
The Sixth Chengdu International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage, themed by Practice for Inheritance and Development, focuses on the world styles, Chinese festivals, operas, and arts. A series of activities including exhibitions, international conferences and forums, competitions on intangible cultural heritages, and traditional Chinese performing arts going into communities will be conducted during the festival.
On behalf of the government, Yin Li extended welcome to all the guests present. He claimed that, held in Chengdu, the festival plays an important role in promoting the protection of intangible cultural heritages, enhancing people-to-people exchanges and cooperation among the globe, and showcasing the Sichuan culture. Sichuan will ensure the protection of intangible cultural heritages to be a demonstrating practice on inheritance and development and an important bridge connecting Sichuan with the world by holding exhibitions and promoting activities. Sichuan will draw experience from the protection and inheritance of cultural heritages in the international community, improve the protection of cultural heritages, and promote the development of traditional Chinese cultures, so as to build a beautiful, prosperous, and harmonious Sichuan with extraordinary history and cultures. He hopes that all the guests and people from all walks of life fully support the festival and the protection of intangible cultural heritages in Sichuan to forge a platform for cultural exchanges and cooperation and promote the development and deepening integration of international cultures.
Luo Shugang, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, showed welcome to the guests from all over the world. According to him, the splendid intangible cultural heritage pools and carries on the rich sentiment and values of human beings. It is the carrier of the excellent traditional cultures of all countries and ethnic groups, as well as the embodiment of the cultural diversity and creativity. Chinese government has always put emphasis on the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritages by improving laws and regulations and pragmatically promoting the protection of the intangible cultural heritages in accordance with the spirits and principles in the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. Chinese government has been actively performing the Convention and conducting diversified international activities such as the International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Over a decade of development, the Festival has become an important platform for promoting the Convention, showcasing the distinctive intangible cultural heritages of different countries and ethnic groups, and deepening the international cultural cooperation.
Francesco Bandarin, Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO, read the letter from Bokova. In the letter, Bokova said, Chengdu, as a city of creativity and cuisine of UNESCO, is a best choice for the festival. It boasts rich intangible cultural heritages, which embodies the important role of intangible heritages on promoting social prosperity and sustainable development. The intangible cultural heritage is the vital carrier for carrying on knowledge and techniques, and the protection of intangible cultural heritage is of crucial significance in today’s world. The UNESCO is delighted to cooperate with the Sixth Chengdu International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage to showcase the rich intangible cultural heritage both in China and the world.
Yang Xingping, Vice Governor of Sichuan Province, hosted the opening ceremony. Phoeung Leakhena, Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia, Charles Banda, Minster of the Ministry of Tourism and Arts of Zambia, Xiang Zhaolun and Ding Wei, Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Culture in China, Deji, Vice Chairman of the Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region, Fan Ruiping, Member of the Standing Committee of Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of Sichuan Municipal Party Committee, Wang Zhengrong, Vice Chairman of the People's Political Consultative Conference of Sichuan Province, Luo Qiang, Mayor of Chengdu, and deputies from governments and departments of different countries, attended the opening ceremony.
After the ceremony, Liu Xiaofeng took part in part of the exhibitions and performances.
