An annual cultural feast for all, the Shenzhen Intangible Cultural Heritage Week kicked off its fifth session on the evening of March 3 at OCT Harbour in Nanshan, launching 20 intangible cultural heritage projects and staging a stunning show by more than 200 performers from 14 teams.

Comparing the intangible cultural heritage to water, organizers adopted “Flowing Culture Heritage” as the theme of this year’s event, implying that cultural heritage flows like water and has a long history. The event will feature a total of 61 activities in four categories: “performance,” “exhibition,” “lecture,” and “competition.”

Video and photos by Liu Xudong.

On the opening night, the performances included a dragon dance, lion dance, shadow puppet show, Cantonese Opera, Henan Opera, Kunqu, and Yingge Dance. In addition,nearly 50 food stalls presented the public with a wide range of non-heritage food selections, allowing the public to experience the flavor and charm of iconic snacks from Shenzhen and other Chinese cities.

Yang Yi, an inheritor of the intangible heritage of interior painting, has participated in the Shenzhen Intangible Cultural Heritage Week for five straight years. She said that the vibe this year is much stronger than previous sessions, and the large number of interactive activities during the event will provide the public with more immersive experiences.

“Any traditional craft that is passed on had to be integrated into the lives of modern people. We as inheritors have to be innovative and constantly launch new cultural and creative products. We brought some of them here and hope more young people will appreciate them,” Yang said.

Chen Shaohua, deputy director of Shenzhen’s bureau of culture, radio, film, tourism and sports, said Shenzhen has achieved remarkable progress in protecting intangible cultural heritage, and the efforts included establishing community-level demonstration sites and 18 intangible cultural heritage workshops. By now, the city has 227 intangible cultural heritage projects of all levels, including eight at the national level, and a total of 224 representative inheritors who have been certified, including three national-level inheritors.

A performance of Yingge Dance, a folk dance with a 300-year history and popular in the Chaoshan region, Guangdong Province.

Performers stage a fish lantern show.

A performance of Yuju opera at the opening ceremony of the cultural heritage week.

Wang Xiaodan (R), a Kunqu opera artist, performs onstage with her 4-year-old grandson.

A performance at the opening ceremony.

A folk dance performed at sacrificing rituals.

A primary school student is learning about the paper-cutting art.

Swarms of visitors are seen during the opening ceremony.

A group photo of the performers at the opening ceremony.