BMW champions Chinese culture to foster sustainable development

Sustainability has emerged as a crucial concern among car manufacturers in recent years, prompting them to adopt new practices to reduce the effect on the environment.

For premium carmaker BMW, however, sustainability is more than just being environmentally friendly; it is about creating a positive effect on people and society.

BMW's commitment to sustainability can be seen not only in its core business — encompassing electric, digital and circular — but in its highly coordinated and sustainable development in regard to people, society and the environment. One example is that the carmaker has held the BMW China Culture Journey for 17 years with the aim of promoting and protecting traditional Chinese culture.

The program has donated more than 25 million yuan ($3.6 million) to 90 intangible cultural heritage projects and research subjects in urgent need of protection, funded nearly 1,000 inheritors and encouraged 160 million people to protect and inherit intangible cultural heritage.

Its latest achievement is the opening of the BMW China Culture Journey Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Innovation Deliverables Exhibition on Friday at China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing.

The exhibition showcases the latest artworks of intangible cultural heritage inheritors who are supported by BMW China and reflects the concept of BMW's circular sustainability: 30 percent of the exhibition materials are made of recyclable paper materials and 75 percent are recyclable.

Franz Decker, president and CEO of BMW Brilliance Automotive, said: "We are convinced that there is no premium without responsibility. 'Premium' brands must be responsible to the economy, society and environment with a sustainable vision."

"This exhibition demonstrates BMW's continuous efforts in protecting intangible cultural heritage for 17 years. With our partners, we promote sustainable development through culture, perfectly interpreting the BMW Group's comprehensive sustainability philosophy," Decker said.

Shahbaz Khan, a representative of UNESCO to China, hailed the exhibition as an outstanding demonstration of intangible cultural heritage protection in a video on Friday.

In the context of UNESCO placing culture at the heart of Social Development Goals, he said that intangible cultural heritage is not just a source of pride and inspiration but a tool for achieving sustainable development and promoting social cohesion.

"The recognition of the universal value of intangible heritage is one of the powerful tools we have to build a better world based on dialogue, respect and human dignity," he said.

The impressive outcomes of the BMW China Culture Journey have been made possible with the support of Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University, which has been a partner of the initiative for six years.

At the exhibition, the "Enjoying Nature" series of Bai ethnic tie-dyeing works co-created by Li Wei, professor of the academy, and Duan Yuan, an intangible cultural heritage inheritor of the Bai ethnic tie-dyeing project, has won significant interest from visitors.

The works exemplify the fusion of traditional handmade craftsmanship and natural elements. They were created using tie-dyeing and hanging-dyeing techniques, natural materials like bluegrass as dyes, and soybean powder and lime powder as dyeing paste.

The BMW 7 Series Halo Edition is also displayed at the exhibition, which was created by BMW and the academy.

The car was inspired by traditional Chinese aesthetics, incorporating design elements such as mountains, water and clouds, and Chinese cultural symbols such as the dragon and white jade. These elements were integrated with traditional craftsmanship techniques like embroidery, Chinese lacquer and mother-of-pearl inlay to showcase BMW's deep understanding of Chinese culture.

To help cultural heritage inheritors design and develop cultural creations, BMW and the academy founded the Tsinghua BMW Innovation Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding in 2016.

The two sides have organized six social innovation deliverables exhibitions and more than 20 seminars, benefiting nearly 500 intangible cultural heritage inheritors from across the country. At the innovation center, inheritors from the provinces of Sichuan, Hunan, Qinghai, Hainan, Liaoning, Hubei and Yunnan, have received tailored training and one-on-one innovation empowerment.

Lu Xiaobo, senior professor of liberal arts programs at Tsinghua University and vice-chairman of Chinese Artists Association, said both sides discovered a shared passion for traditional Chinese culture after their initial communication. The cooperation with BMW is a strong alliance.

Ma Sai, dean of the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University, said: "We will continue to leverage our strengths to introduce more artistic and scientific elements into cultural inheritance and protection to promote the sustainable and healthy development of culture."

In addition to cultural protection, BMW China's Corporate Social Responsibility projects focus on environmental protection and other social issues, contributing to the high-quality development of Chinese society.

These projects are not about commercial values, Decker said. BMW Group's "at home in China" is not just a slogan but a philosophy that is being implemented in all aspects. BMW is committed to this philosophy and is taking practical actions to demonstrate its contribution to China, its people and its culture, he said.

BMW Group said it will continue to create value for Chinese customers, society and industry for mutual growth.