Browse living heritage by region or category

Browse by region or category. Our regional directory organises reading; it is not a complete inventory of local heritage.

40 editorial entries, not a nationwide inventory.

Heritage articles

Hebei · Traditional arts

Yuxian paper-cutting

Discover how a window decoration is made through knife cutting and applied colour.

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Jiangsu · Traditional arts

Suzhou embroidery

Follow stitches and silk thread to understand different forms of expression in Suzhou embroidery.

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Jiangsu · Traditional craftsmanship

Yixing zisha pottery-making

From clay slabs to vessel shapes, observe how zisha pottery is formed.

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Jiangsu · Traditional craftsmanship

Nanjing Yunjin brocade

Understand zhuanghua weaving through two workers coordinating on a loom.

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Zhejiang · Traditional craftsmanship

Longquan celadon firing techniques

Understand celadon through vessel form, glazing and firing.

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Anhui · Traditional craftsmanship

Xuan paper-making

Explore the relationship between qingtan bark, rice straw and handmade paper.

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Fujian · Traditional music

Nanyin: the Xiamen record

Begin listening to Nanyin through voice, instruments and community life.

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Beijing · Traditional craftsmanship

Beijing cloisonné

See how copper wire, enamel and vessel form work together.

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Guizhou · Traditional music

Dong grand song: the Liping record

Understand the relationship between multipart singing, song teachers and singing groups.

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Hainan · Traditional craftsmanship

Li textile techniques: the Ledong record

Distinguish spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidery.

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Tianjin · Traditional arts

Yangliuqing woodblock New Year prints

Discover a Tianjin New Year print tradition through the combination of carving and painting.

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Chongqing · Traditional dance

Tongliang dragon dance: follow the movement

Understand the dance tradition of Tongliang, Chongqing, through props, formations and accompaniment.

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Hubei · Social customs

Duanwu customs in Qu Yuan’s hometown

Explore local customs connected with commemorating Qu Yuan through the Yichang project record.

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Hunan · Traditional theatre

Kunqu: the Hunan project record

Observe singing, spoken delivery and stylised movement together.

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Tibet · Folk literature

Gesar: a story unfolds in the telling

Explore oral epic storytelling through the Tibet project record.

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Jiangsu · Quyi storytelling and song

Suzhou pingtan: pinghua and tanci

Understand the difference between spoken storytelling and storytelling with song through pinghua and tanci.

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Beijing · Traditional sports, games and acrobatics

Beijing diabolo

See how the string keeps a diabolo turning, and listen to its sound.

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Shandong · Traditional craftsmanship

Weifang kite-making

Explore kite-making through frames and decoration.

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Xinjiang · Traditional music

Twelve Muqam

Explore song, dance and music through the relationship between individual passages and the whole.

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Jiangxi · Traditional craftsmanship

Jingdezhen porcelain-making by hand

Follow the stages to see how the work of different people connects.

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Shaanxi · Traditional theatre

Huaxian shadow theatre

Explore shadow theatre through the interplay of movement on the screen, voices and accompaniment.

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Jiangsu · Traditional craftsmanship

Nanjing gold-leaf beating

Explore the making of a decorative material through hammering, cutting and inspection.

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Sichuan · Traditional craftsmanship

Chengdu Shu brocade

Explore how patterns form through warp stripes, teamwork and joining threads.

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Inner Mongolia · Traditional music

Mongolian long song

Begin with extended melodies, vocal ornamentation and performance context.

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Guangdong · Traditional dance

Guangdong lion dance

Begin with two performers working together, percussion and the narrative of cai qing.

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Guangxi · Traditional craftsmanship

Zhuang brocade weaving

Explore warp, weft, patterns and finished objects to distinguish materials and stages of making.

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Yunnan · Traditional dance

Dai peacock dance

Explore Ruili peacock dance through connected movements, music and performance settings.

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Shanxi · Traditional craftsmanship

Pingyao polished lacquerware

How does the glossy surface take shape? Look at body preparation, decoration and polishing.

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Henan · Traditional arts

Zhuxianzhen woodblock New Year prints

Explore Kaifeng prints through line blocks, colour blocks and work with older records.

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Jiangsu · Shanghai · Traditional music

Jiangnan sizhu ensemble music

Listen to how ensemble parts work together, and explore music societies and local records.

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Jilin · Traditional dance

Chaoxianzu nongyuewu: xiangmao dance

Explore Yanbian’s xiangmao dance record and the shared performance beyond the ribbon.

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Ningxia · Traditional music

Ningxia Hui shanhua’er songs

Explore a Ningxia Hua’er record through individual singing and song gatherings.

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Gansu · Traditional music

Lianhuashan Hua’er song gathering

Explore a gathering through its stages, oral teaching and preserved records.

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Qinghai · Traditional arts

Regong arts

Explore Regong arts through forms, material descriptions and settings for transmission.

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Heilongjiang · Quyi storytelling and song

Hezhe Yimakan

Hear stories through speech and song, and distinguish teaching from dated recognition records.

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Liaoning · Traditional theatre

Fuzhou shadow theatre

Explore puppet making, performance and teaching through one practitioner’s range of skills.

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Hong Kong · Social customs

Tai Hang fire dragon dance

Explore Tai Hang’s Mid-Autumn custom through procession, community organisation and oral history.

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Macao · Social customs

Fishmongers’ Drunken Dragon Festival

Explore Macao’s cultural practice through trade gatherings, festival sharing and a school teaching example.

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Fujian · Traditional theatre

Jinjiang glove puppetry

Explore Jinjiang puppetry through hand manipulation, musical learning and teaching.

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Sichuan · Traditional craftsmanship

Jiajiang bamboo paper

Learn about young bamboo used in Jiajiang papermaking, observe the finished paper, and read dated training accounts.

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Browse articles by region

REGIONAL DIRECTORY

Counts refer to our edited articles. Other regions will be added over time. Local systems and sources are retained for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

The initial release uses a regional list to explore cultural practices. An interactive map will follow once basemap usage rights, boundaries and location information have been checked.