Reviews: Book

Cultural heritage

Compiled by more than 30 experts, The First List of China Intangible Cultural Heritage is published by Culture and Art Publishing House.

In two volumes with more than 1,200 pages, the List introduces 518 pieces in 10 catalogues. Each has vivid pictures and detailed information about the origin, history, current condition and values of the piece.

There are 31 folklores such as the legends of the White Snake and Ji Gong and the stories of Meng Jiangnu and Xi Shi. The 72 pieces of folk and ethnic music include the Mongolian long tunes, Hua'er folk songs in Gansu and Shaanxi Provinces, Cantonese music, Hakka mountain songs, and the silk and bamboo music. The 41 folk dances listed include the drum dance, dragon dance (pictured) and Tibetan Reba Dance (a drum and bell dance).

The List also collects 92 local operas, 42 pieces of Quyi performance (ballads and story-telling), 17 acrobatic stunts, 51 folk fine arts, 89 handicrafts, 9 traditional Chinese medicine and 70 folk customs.

Chen Jie

(China Daily 05/08/2007 page20)