China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has issued a five-year plan to strengthen the systematic protection and transmission of intangible cultural heritage, with a focus on bringing traditional practices further into contemporary life.
The 15th Five-Year Plan for the Protection and Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage, covering 2026-30, outlines measures to improve protection mechanisms, develop a stronger pool of inheritors and expand the use of digital technologies in heritage preservation.
The plan calls for the initial establishment of a new framework for systematic intangible cultural heritage protection by 2030. It also aims to improve mechanisms for protecting and transmitting intangible cultural heritage, deepen public understanding of its value and expand the ways in which such heritage is incorporated into modern life.
According to the plan, new settings for experiencing and participating in intangible cultural heritage are expected to emerge, while its role in supporting high-quality economic and social development and serving major national strategies will be further strengthened.
The plan identifies six priority areas.
They include consolidating the foundation for protection and improving systems for protecting individual intangible cultural heritage items; strengthening transmission capacity and optimizing the training of heritage practitioners; integrating intangible cultural heritage protection into broader cultural heritage conservation efforts; creating new settings that connect intangible cultural heritage with modern life; using digital and intelligent technologies to improve protection; and strengthening communication to raise the visibility and influence of intangible cultural heritage.
The plan also calls for a nationwide survey of intangible cultural heritage resources and improvements to related databases. It highlights the need to build a stronger pipeline of inheritors, improve the digital management and application of heritage resources, and enhance communication and public outreach.
It further encourages the integration of intangible cultural heritage protection with major national strategies and calls for greater attention to protecting and transmitting heritage through everyday life.
To support the plan, the ministry calls for stronger organizational coordination, improved policies and regulations, and greater financial and institutional support. It also emphasizes standardized management and broader participation by the public and social organizations.
The measures are intended to create a more supportive social environment for the protection and transmission of intangible cultural heritage and promote its continued development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
