ICHCAP

A national training program for the safeguarding and transmission of intangible cultural heritage, implemented in Guizhou Province, China, is empowering local women artisans by providing new opportunities for change. The program has been run under the direction of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China since 2015, and seeks to realize the modernization of traditions through curricula that combine traditional crafts and related intangible cultural heritage with contemporary applications.

Wan Lanfang is a silverwork instructor at Guizhou Minzu University who presents contemporary jewellery designs that fuse a variety of techniques, including embroidery, batik, bamboo craft and ceramics, thereby achieving a harmony between tradition and modernity. She learned traditional silver filigree techniques under the guidance of a nationally recognized master heritage bearer and has since further developed her skills through the national intangible cultural heritage training program.

Chen Jie leads small craft-based production groups that provide opportunities for people with limited access to employment, such as full-time homemakers, persons with disabilities and rural women. She produces key rings, bags and accessories using traditional motifs and sells them in major Chinese cities and regional markets, thereby supporting the economic self-reliance of local women.

The program goes beyond the transmission of technical skills by integrating training in entrepreneurship, design and marketing to reinforce the role of intangible cultural heritage as a sustainable economic resource for local communities. Such cases demonstrate that intangible cultural heritage can contribute to local economic revitalization and community development.

Reference : https://lrl.kr/ejXUH