Intangible Cultural Heritage in Contemporary China : The participation of local communities

This book examines the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of China, particularly contemporary China, Hong Kong, and Macau. They have been actively preserving and showcasing both their tangible and intangible cultural heritages in the hopes of getting inscribed in UNESCO’s List of ICH.This book examines various preservation cases of local practices and culture. It argues the need to establish a framework for the study of ICH, so that China’s communities can effectively carry out ICH protection in order to gain reputation through UNESCO classification.

This edited book examines the significance of intangible cultural heritage to local communities and the state in Hong Kong and China. Through ethnographic studies, the various chapters in this edited book argue for the role of the local community in the creation and conservation of the intangible cultural heritage and traditions. Irrespective of whether they are selected and listed as regional, national or UNESO intangible cultural heritage, they are part of the living traditions unique to that particular local community.

This edited book argues that there are threefold significance of intangible cultural heritage to the local community and the state. First, intangible cultural heritage is seen as a social prestige. Second, it acts as socio-cultural and economic capital for members of the community to tap into to ensure socio-cultural and economic sustainability of the community. Finally, the intangible cultural heritage serves as a depository of the collective memories of the community, linking the past to the present and the future.