On March 30, a symposium on the cooperation for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) protection and development in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle was held in Suining. At the symposium, the intangible cultural heritage protection centers from Sichuan and Chongqing signed the Cooperation Framework Agreement on Promoting the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection in Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. The two sides will cooperate in five aspects, covering the integration of ICH resources and their proper utilization, and the cultivation of ICH brands, hoping to build an ICH protection and inheritance system and to promote the protection, inheritance, utilization and development of the ICH in both places.

　　As to resource integration, the two sides will build a collaborative protection system for ICH, in a bid to promote the sort-out, protection and inheritance of ICH items such as Sichuan opera, Sichuan cuisine, Shu brocade, Sichuan embroidery and Dazu Rock Carvings. They will also cooperate to hold ICH-related activities such as publicity, exhibitions, talent cultivation, academic research and investment attraction and poverty alleviation, so as to propel the regional and comprehensive protection of excellent traditional culture in the economic circle.

　　As to proper utilization, the two sides will strengthen cooperation in the productive protection for ICH, derivatives development and integration of ICH and cultural industries, seeking to cultivate some characteristic ICH industries, build an ICH industry chain and create some renowned ICH brands. They will facilitate exchanges and cooperation in cultural industries, build a comprehensive exhibition and trading platform for ICH products, establish the linkage mechanism for promoting key ICH-related projects in cultural industries with distinctive features, and formulate a list of major projects in characteristic cultural industries of Sichuan and Chongqing.

　　As to ICH brands, the two sides will integrate their characteristic cultural tourism resources to develop and launch distinctive and competitive "one journey with ICH sites" routes. They will also input more in 10 competitive industry clusters with Bashu characteristics including cultural tourism, folk tourism and ecological health tourism.

　　Under the agreement, the two sides will set up an expert committee on the protection of Bashu ICH (or joint working group), which will meet on a semi-annual basis and on a rotating basis, to exchange academic research findings and discuss policy recommendations on the protection of the ICH.