— On December 6, the “2025 Hainan Free Trade Port – ASEAN Intangible Cultural Heritage Week” officially opened at the Hainan Provincial Cultural Center. The event, themed “Maritime Silk Road’s Journey – Intangible Heritage Towards the Future,” encompasses eight major sections: exhibitions, performances, workshops, markets, dialogues, and visits. It will run until December 18 and feature multiple sub-venues across Haikou, creating a high-end dialogue platform for the protection, inheritance, and innovation of intangible cultural heritage between China (Hainan) and ASEAN countries.
The opening ceremony was marked by a welcoming performance of the “Hainan Tiger Dance,” showcasing local cultural flair. The atmosphere was vibrant, with audiences gathered to enjoy traditional puppet shows from Thailand, Malaysian martial arts, and other ASEAN heritage programs. Attendees eagerly captured the exciting moments on their phones. During the launch ceremony, guests together paddled a boat, symbolically opening a screen that represented the journey of intangible cultural heritage continuing from the Maritime Silk Road. The event featured a performance combining the Li ethnic group’s music and dance with Thailand’s Khon theater, showcasing a cultural dialogue across different regions. Moreover, a collaborative performance featuring the guzheng (Chinese zither) and an “intangible heritage robot” highlighted the innovative vitality of heritage empowered by contemporary technology.
As the core academic section of this heritage week, the “Silk Road Intangible Heritage: A Shared Civilization” and the “Youth Power: New Chapters of Intangible Heritage,” which focuses on youth exchanges, were held on the same afternoon. The events invited experienced scholars and heritage bearers to share insights on issues such as heritage protection and international dissemination. The youth exchange activities concentrated on “Innovative Paths for the Development of Intangible Heritage,” “Integrating Traditional Crafts into Modern Life,” and “How Young Expressions Balance Protection, Inheritance, and Innovation,” establishing a dialogue platform for young people to engage in the intangible heritage field.
Liu Cheng, a member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, emphasized in his speech that intangible cultural heritage is a shared spiritual treasure of humanity and an important vehicle for building communication bridges and enhancing understanding. He stated that this event is a concrete action to deepen regional cultural cooperation and promote closer ties among people. He noted that holding this event at such a significant historical juncture, as the Hainan Free Trade Port begins its operations, is not only a systematic reorganization and contemporary interpretation of China’s excellent traditional culture but also a practical measure to promote regional cultural cooperation and achieve a vision of “beauty in diversity, beauty in harmony.”
Chen Hongni, Director of the Hainan Provincial Cultural Center and Head of the Hainan Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, introduced the rich interactive segments of this heritage week in her welcome address. The week will showcase representative intangible cultural heritage projects from ASEAN countries, such as Thailand’s Khon, Indonesia’s wayang kulit (shadow puppetry), batik fabric art, Malaysia’s songket and martial arts, alongside Hainan’s traditional Li weaving and dyeing techniques, primitive pottery making, tiger dance, Wenchang clay sculpture, Hainan coconut carving, and the Pochen Five-Form Stance. Specially organized activities, such as intangible heritage experience workshops, creative lifestyle markets, and heritage pop-up events in schools, tourist attractions, shopping districts, duty-free shops, and airports will allow citizens and visitors to “encounter intangible heritage” in daily life, better integrating ancient practices with modern living.
Following the opening ceremony, guests and attendees moved to the exhibition and market areas to explore and experience. The statue of the Thai monkey god Hanuman at the center of the market became a popular photo spot. Local delicacies such as Hainan “Old Dad” tea cake and Miao Five-Color Rice were well-received, and crafts like Li brocade attracted many viewers who enjoyed selecting the hand-crafted items. Interactive projects integrating “intangible heritage with technology,” like the “intangible heritage robot” guiding visitors through exhibits and immersive digital scenes, showcased the blend of ancient skills and modern technology, reflecting the vibrancy of heritage today.
The event includes several sections: the special exhibition “Encountering Intangible Heritage: Thai Khon Art Exhibition,” which will run until December 18; the “Closer to Intangible Heritage: ASEAN Traditional Performance Showcase,” featuring pop-up performances at Haikou’s Qilou and Sun Moon Plaza duty-free shops; the “Heritage Inheritance: Hainan Free Trade Port – ASEAN Intangible Heritage Experience Workshops,” offering daily courses on making Thai Khon masks and primitive pottery techniques; and the “Experience Heritage: Hainan Free Trade Port – ASEAN Creative Lifestyle Market,” bringing together Hainan and ASEAN’s unique intangible cultural heritage products to create an immersive cultural consumption experience.
Additionally, throughout the event, various displays, performances, and exchanges will allow intangible heritage to engage the public in a more interactive environment, vividly presenting it in the details of daily life and enriching the cultural strength behind the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port.
This event is guided by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, organized by the Hainan Provincial Cultural Center (Hainan Provincial Institute of Arts Research and Hainan Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center), and co-organized by cultural (community art) centers and intangible cultural heritage protection centers across various cities and counties.
Contact Info:
Name: Gao Yingyun
Email: Send Email
Organization: Hainan Provincial Cultural Center
Website: http://www.hnszwhg.cn/hns/index
Release ID: 89178053