Taihang Mountains provide inspiration

Tibet bolsters protection of cultural heritage

"Our ancestors in Jingdezhen were good at absorbing skills from all over the country and nurturing their extraordinary characteristics. There was also abundant timber and suitable climate and earth in Jingdezhen. All factors joined to make this an ideal place to produce the world's top-level porcelain."

More events were held in Xidan Culture Square in downtown Beijing on the same day. A lion dance, a traditional Chinese dance in which two dancers mimic the animal's movements in a lion costume, was performed, along with a Chinese magic show and wuchaozi, a type of martial dance.

The event also features a photo exhibition that tells the stories of 120 of the most significant inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, as well as an interactive exhibition that allows people to see traditional Chinese medicine and the process of creating traditional Chinese arts like calligraphy and medicinal incense-making.

Lin Hongkui, a painter of Peking Opera masks, says there has been an increasing awareness of traditional heritage in recent years. Lin and his team have been asked to teach students in elementary and middle schools about mask painting. They have developed cartoon versions of Peking Opera masks to cater to the young audience.

"There have been more ways to introduce the art of painting masks to people, and wherever we go, people recognize it as a symbol of China."

Contact the writers at wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn and sunyuanqing@chinadaily.com.cn