Craftsmanship workshops help hundreds of thousands of Chinese shake off poverty

BEIJING -- Workshops promoting craftsmanship belonging to China's intangible cultural heritage (ICH), which were built with government support, have helped more than 200,000 people shake off poverty, Vice-Minister of Culture and Tourism Li Jinzao said on Saturday.

Assisting China's battle against poverty by the means of ICH, the ministry started last year supporting the construction of ICH workshops. This initiative has given birth to more than 2,200 projects and generated nearly half a million jobs, Li told a press conference.

By training and equipping people with traditional craftsmanship skills like knitting and embroidery, the move, according to the official, enables them to have a locally-based job.

To boost sales and help secure a victory in the poverty battle, shopping events for handicrafts representing ICH will be held on major e-commerce platforms including Alibaba and JD.com, he said.