UNESCO inscribes 3 new Chinese cultural elements, practices on intangible cultural heritage list

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Thursday added traditional Li textile techniques, the Qiang New Year festival and traditional Chinese wooden arch bridges to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The full names of the three items are "traditional Li textile techniques: spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering," "Qiang New Year festival," and "traditional design and practices for building Chinese wooden arch bridges." All three were previously included in 2009 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

With a history of over 3,000 years, traditional textile of the Li ethnic group epitomizes the country's earliest textile practices and so is seen as a "living fossil" in Chinese textile history.

Traditional Li textile techniques involve four steps: spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering. Li women are particularly adept at these techniques, turning cotton, hemp and other fibers into clothing items, including skirts and kerchiefs, as well as other daily necessities. The textiles play a vital role in the ethnic group's social and cultural occasions, especially in weddings. It's a tradition for Li women to design their own traditional wedding dresses.

The Qiang New Year Festival is the grandest and most important traditional festival for the Qiang ethnic group, usually falling on the first day of the tenth month of the traditional Chinese calendar.

Celebrating the harvest, sending blessings and praying for peace are the central themes of Qiang New Year, and the simple yet primitive ceremonial rituals create a uniquely rich cultural atmosphere that reflects the distinctive characteristics of Qiang culture.

Wooden arch bridges are a prominent feature in China's eastern coastal provinces, particularly Fujian and Zhejiang. These traditional bridges, featuring a blend of time-honored designs, traditional tools, and carpentry methods, use key techniques such as "beam-weaving" and mortise-tenon joint structure.

With the addition of these three items, China now has 44 cultural elements or practices recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity.

UNESCO inscribes 3 new Chinese cultural elements, practices on intangible cultural heritage list

UNESCO inscribes 3 new Chinese cultural elements, practices on intangible cultural heritage list

A representative of Chinese solar photovoltaic enterprises at the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) foresaw an exponential growth in clean energy and recognized China's significant role in driving the global green transformation.

One of the key themes at the WEF in Davos is Safeguarding the Planet. Among the influential voices in clean energy was Zhong Baoshen, Chairman of China's LONGi Green Energy, a world's major manufacturer of solar module. He highlighted the rapid advancements in solar photovoltaic (PV) energy worldwide.

"As of today, solar photovoltaic energy has exceeded 2 terawatts globally. But it's important to note that reaching the first terawatt took 68 years—from 1954 to 2022. However, we achieved the second terawatt in just 3 years, showing how fast the growth is. According to the International Energy Agency, global solar capacity will reach 4 terawatts by 2030, which is just 6 years away. Personally, I believe it will exceed 5 terawatts," said Zhong.

Development of other clean energy sources is also on a fast track. LONGi Green Energy is investing in hydrogen energy and green methanol, essential technologies for the global decarbonization endeavor.

 "We are also focusing on hydrogen energy and green methanol. We believe that to fully decarbonize the world, we'll need more than just electricity; we'll also need liquid and gaseous fuels for industries like shipping. The key to decarbonizing these liquid and gaseous fuels is hydrogen. By developing hydrogen energy, we can create green methanol, which will help support a comprehensive global effort to reduce carbon emissions," he added.

Speaking of international interactions, Zhong noted that trade barriers still exist amid the global expansion of green energy companies. However, he affirmed China's instrumental role in accelerating the global green energy transformation. 

"I think that most countries are open to using clean energy as green energy companies expand internationally. However, some countries want to have local solar manufacturing, which can create trade barriers. Right now, China is a major player in both solar and wind energy worldwide. Whether it's in technology or production capacity, China has made the biggest contribution to the global green energy transition," said Zhong.

Solar power to see exponential growth, China leading global green transformation: LONGi Chairman