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Updated: 2007-05-29 17:09

Tang Rongmei, a 67-year-old American teacher in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, could not hold back her excitement when talking about the parade following the opening ceremony of the First International Festival of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, even though it was staged six days ago.

The more than one-hour parade, which took place in Shuncheng Street in downtown Chengdu on the morning of May 23, drew some 10,000 spectators from home and abroad, including Tang and 23 of her students from Guangya School.

"I was pleasantly surprised because the parade was so colorful, like those held in New York City," said Tang, who has lived in the Big Apple for four decades.

Tang, a noted educator who graduated from Columbia University with several degrees in education and education-related fields, is teaching English to a group of rural women English teachers from different areas of Sichuan.

She was happy that she cancelled her morning class to take her students to the parade to experience a cultural feast and learn about intangible cultural heritage.

"None of my students knew what intangible cultural heritage meant when I told them the day before the parade was held. All of them were impressed with the display from different parts of the world in the parade and kept taking pictures. Most of them said they had never seen anything so grand in their lives. Some said they would remember the parade forever," said Tang.

Spectacular performances

Following speeches by Chinese and foreign officials praising the achievements of Chengdu and China in protecting intangible cultural heritage, the parade started with the performance of the Imposing Gong and Drum troupe from North China's Shanxi Province, which is regarded as the best in China and has performed all over the world since the 1980s.

The percussionists were followed by singers and dancers from the Czech Republic, Romania, Mexico, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mongolia, Vietnam, South Korea, Estonia, Madagascar and Brazil, as well as troupes comprised of ethnic Tibetan, Yi, Uygur, Qiang and Mosuo people.

There were also Buddhist monks from the Shaolin Temple of Central China's Henan Province who demonstrated the Shaolin school of martial arts, acrobats from Wuqiao County of North China's Hebei Province, shadowboxing performers from Chengdu, Sichuan Opera performers spitting fire, and also dragon dance performers from Sichuan and neighboring Chongqing Municipality.

The parade witnessed the first ever performance in China by the world-famous Roudabout Samba band from Brazil, said Deng Gongli, deputy secretary-general of the Chengdu municipal government.

Such was the quality of the performances that many spectators mistook the performers for professionals.

But Qiang Ba, a middle-aged Tibetan who led a group of dancers from Oamdo, the Tibet Autonomous Region, said: "Back home, all our dancers are farmers. They have been working together for the show for only two months."

Protecting world heritage

The 19-day festival, which ends on June 10, has been approved by the State Council, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Sichuan provincial government, and organized by the Chengdu municipal government, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and the China National Center of Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection.

With its theme of "inheritance of ethnic culture, communication of civilizations and promotion of a harmonious world," it is the first international event held to promote the protection of cultural heritage.

The festival is aimed at furthering China's efforts in intangible cultural heritage protection and enhancing its global influence in the field, said Ding Wei, assistant to the Minister of Culture.

During the festival, the First Extraordinary Session of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was held from May 23 and 27.

Meanwhile, during the two-day Chengdu Forum, which ended on May 24 and featured the protection of intangible cultural heritage, more than 40 experts, scholars and government officials from different parts of the world signed the Chengdu Manifesto, calling for the international community and governments in different countries to give due emphasis to intangible cultural heritage protection.

The text of the Chengdu Manifesto will be inscribed in a stone in many languages and placed inside the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Park in Chengdu. The stone will be unveiled to the public on June 10, said Chengdu Vice Mayor He Huazhang.

Heritage exposition

May 23 marked the formal opening of the Exposition of the First International Festival of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Park in Chengdu's Jinniu District.

Spread over 80 halls, the exposition will display 1,112 domestic and overseas intangible cultural heritage items free of charge for the duration of the festival.

"Folk artisans will perform there," said Deng.

The exposition will also feature Muqam, a traditional performance of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Muqam, which combines music, dance, singing and poetry, is on the UNESCO's Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

"It will be the first time that Muqam has its debut outside of Xinjiang," said Zhu Shuxi, chief of the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture.

He disclosed that the famous Xiaoxiang Lion Dance will also be performed in the exposition.

The dance, which has its origin in Xiaoxiang Village in Gongyi, Central China's Henan Province, has a history of more than 400 years and is likely to be performed at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Nearly 70 performers will display their stunts of climbing to the tops of poles that are over 10 m high, while dressed and dancing like lions.

Russian, Czech, Mexican, South Korean, Madagascan and Estonian artistes have also given national performances in the park, Zhu said.

Cultural awareness

Chengdu was chosen to host the festival because of its position as one of China's most historically and culturally famous cities and its efforts to protect and develop cultural heritage, said Ding.

"Chengdu is the only Chinese city that has neither changed its name nor its location for more than 2,000 years. That fact alone justifies the decision to choose Chengdu as the venue for the festival," he said.

Attaching high value to intangible cultural heritage protection and conservation, the Chengdu municipal government has initiated programs and initiatives involving surveys on intangible cultural heritage items and their protection.

The city's Dujiangyan Water Discharge Festival, manufacturing procedures of Shu Brocade, Shu Embroidery and Chengdu Lacquer are first on the list for the protection of representations of China's national intangible cultural heritage, said Chengdu Vice Mayor He Huazhang.

Last November, Chengdu announced its first list of 41 items of municipal-level intangible cultural heritage, while this February Sichuan announced its first list of provincial-level intangible cultural heritage items.

That included 10 categories and 189 items, of which 26 are from Chengdu, the vice mayor said.

This year Chengdu has founded an intangible cultural heritage protection center and the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Institute will be formally launched in the city on June 10, he further said.