The first Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Expo opened on the evening of the 3rd by the Jinghang Heart by the Grand Canal in Yangzhou. The dazzling and splendid lights fully showcased the unique charm of the thousand-year-old canal. The Grand Canal is not only a waterway connecting north and south, but also a historical river spanning over 2,500 years and an important human cultural heritage. This first "YZB" was jointly organized by the Publicity Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Jiangsu Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the People's Government of Yangzhou City. With the theme of "Integration · Innovation · Sharing," it aims to promote the integrated development of culture and tourism.
On the 4th, the YZB Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition opened to visitors. This event was organized by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the Yangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, with nearly 3,800 square meters of intangible cultural heritage exhibition designed and implemented specifically by Climbing Vine Technology Co., Ltd. It created a comprehensive experience of "seeing, listening, and integrating" through a Jiangnan garden-style tour, bringing the public closer to intangible cultural heritage and resonating with traditional culture while connecting with modern life.
Garden architectural style highlights regional cultural characteristics
The overall exhibition style draws inspiration from the architecture of Yangzhou gardens, fully showcasing Yangzhou’s regional and cultural characteristics as a garden city. "During the exhibition setup, we had to consider the functional attributes of multiple areas. In total, over a hundred intangible cultural heritage projects were displayed, divided into four major sections: 'Garden Horticulture,' 'Masters and Artisans,' 'Intangible Cultural Heritage Creative Products,' and 'Intangible Cultural Heritage Experiences.' Through a deep integration of audience perception and experience, we planned meticulously to achieve 'a scene at every step, a changing view with every move.' This garden-style visit makes the experience more like appreciating the scenery along the way," said the curator from the Cultural Creative Center of Climbing Vine Technology during the introduction.
On-site, many of the intangible cultural heritage exhibition settings have been exquisitely crafted and designed. Even the choice of display lighting takes full advantage of the combination of natural architectural lighting and exhibit lighting, not only achieving overall green energy efficiency but also adding significant vibrancy to the display of intangible cultural heritage projects through various light halos.
"Masters and Artisans" gather in Yangzhou, the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Time" of the YZB
At the intangible cultural heritage exhibition, the "Masters and Artisans" section, which is the most popular, is further divided into nine exhibition areas: Eternal Ancient Sounds, Carved Block Antiquity, Ingenious Paper-Cutting, Weaving, Embroidery and Printing, Painted Years, Carving of Spirits, Spring of Ceramics, Workshop Relics, and Elegant Literary Gatherings. It brings together the essence of masters and artisans and traditional crafts from 38 cities along the Grand Canal Cultural Belt, showcasing the spirit of world-class, national, and provincial-level traditional arts and crafts. Several exhibition areas also feature "national treasure-level" intangible cultural heritage inheritors present on-site.
Zhang Xiufang, National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor and Master of Paper-cutting
"We participate in many exhibitions and events, but this is the first Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Expo. Many masters along the canal are here exhibiting. Although our art forms and techniques differ, such exchange opportunities have also given us new inspiration," said Zhang Xiufang, National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor and Master of Paper-cutting. The Grand Canal not only connects the north and south and surrounding regions spatially, but to some extent, it even breaks the boundaries of time and space, allowing deeper cultural integration between the north and south, further promoting cultural fusion, creativity, inheritance, and promotion.
Combining "Observation" and "Experience" to Get Closer to Intangible Cultural Heritage
It is understood that this intangible cultural heritage exhibition has put great effort into the visitor experience. Booths such as Huishan Clay Figurines, Yangzhou Rice-paper Flowers, and Fengxian County Sugar Blowing all offer hands-on experience activities, allowing visitors to feel "intangible cultural heritage at their fingertips" by doing it themselves. "My child’s school offers intangible cultural heritage experience classes. During this May Day holiday in Yangzhou, we didn’t expect to see so many intangible cultural heritage projects at the YZB. I even tried painting a Peking opera facial mask just now," said Ms. Zhang from Nanjing, who visited the exhibition with her family of three. She noted that the resurgence of traditional culture has led to more and more young people falling in love with intangible cultural heritage.
In addition, to further stimulate visitors' "curiosity" about intangible cultural heritage, the curators specially designed intangible cultural heritage-themed admission tickets. Visitors can get stamps at each exhibition area as souvenirs and receive different gifts upon exiting with the ticket. This achieves both the initiative of learning about intangible cultural heritage and the fun of the tour process. The ticket design is exquisite, featuring images and stamp styles of various intangible cultural heritage projects, offering extraordinary collectible and commemorative value.
Minister Visits, Creative Aspects of YZB Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Highly Praised
The successful hosting of this YZB has garnered high attention from all sectors of society. On the morning of the 6th, Luo Shugang, Secretary of the Party Group and Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, visited the site accompanied by Wang Yanwen, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee and Minister of Propaganda, Yu [Name Redacted], Vice Mayor of Yangzhou City, and Liu [Name Redacted], Director of the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism. He inspected the intangible cultural heritage exhibition area and exchanged views with intangible cultural heritage inheritors. Minister Luo gave high praise for the creative design of the intangible cultural heritage exhibition area and the display results of the heritage projects.
Luo Shugang, Secretary of the Party Group and Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, watches an intangible cultural heritage performance on-site
Luo Shugang, Secretary of the Party Group and Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, exchanges with intangible cultural heritage inheritors on-site
Luo Shugang, Secretary of the Party Group and Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Wang Yanwen, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee and Minister of Propaganda, Yu [Name Redacted], Vice Mayor of Yangzhou City, and intangible cultural heritage inheritors exchange on-site
The Grand Canal — a flowing, living heritage, is a historical and cultural relic that connects cities along its banks. The Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition of the first Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Expo hopes to awaken the intangible cultural heritage sentiment in more people. It is hoped that the profound cultural heritage and rich canal legacy will continue to be inherited and developed through the reform and innovation of the people of Jiangsu, truly transforming the "heritage" of human wisdom and culture into a precious "treasure" to be passed down forever.