INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
On November 11, 2024, after a four-year hiatus from the internet, Li Ziqi –-- an incredible millennial Chinese short-video creator –--
made her comeback with brand-new material
In one video, she utilized the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) method of Chengdu lacquerware to refurbish a wardrobe for her grandma
Within simply five hours of its release, the video collected over 100 million views on the Chinese social networks platform Weibo,
surpassing 10 million views on worldwide platforms like YouTube within 2 days
The splendid Chinese lacquer artistry left both domestic and international audiences in wonder
In another video, worn a handmade, bright yellow Shu brocade baidie (a hundred-pleated) skirt, she once again provided the charm of Chinese
ICH to the world in her distinctively aesthetic style.Li Ziqi is not the only young adult devoted to promoting and preserving intangible
With the increase of short-video formats and social networks platforms, more and more young people are weaving ICH into everyday life in
innovative and personal methods
According to Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), over the previous year, 14 million users have shared their ICH experiences, with those
videos amassing an incredible 749.9 billion views
Amongst them, youth-driven material –-- such as integrating the Bian Lian (face-changing) art of Sichuan Opera with internet memes –--
Plainly, digital platforms and new technology are playing an essential function in narrowing the gap in between younger generations and
traditional cultural heritage.Born in 1997, Bai Ziyi is another one of these young inheritors
The former overseas student returned to her home town of Chongzhou city, Sichuan province in 2020 to start her own organization
Carrying on the craft of Daoming bamboo weaving from her father, Bai Jingbo, she is dedicated to bringing this conventional art into the
By creating products that interest the aesthetics of more youthful generations, she helps integrate the craft into their lives
Her bamboo-woven hibiscus brooches, for instance, have actually impressed lots of foreign travelers
Today, Bai Ziyi is actively organizing a series of ICH exchange occasions, hoping to bring more innovative heritage items into the public
spotlight.This trend of heritage renewal has likewise found its method into main school campuses
At Jiaozi Primary School in Chengdu, trainees, regardless of their young age, have already ended up being little inheritors of various ICH
They brought their own handmade Shu embroidery and Shu brocade works to the stage at the 9th International Intangible Cultural Heritage
Festival kept in Chengdu from May 28 to June 1, 2025
According to Deng Xiaobei, an instructor at Jiaozi Primary School, students can select different ICH projects to study based on their
interests, with Shu embroidery being among the most popular
The trainees begin by raising silkworms, observing them spin silk and form cocoons, thus comprehending the origins of Shu embroidery
By learning about sericulture, they are introduced to traditional Chinese silk weaving methods, slowly cultivating a passion for the craft
From learning the strategies to creating their own original works, a student deepens their perceptual understanding of ICH through
observation and practice, naturally embedding the awareness of cultural inheritance into their knowing and daily lives.From stimulating
interest on school campuses to pioneering development in the market and recording widespread worldwide attention, Li Ziqi, Bai Ziyi, and the
students of Jiaozi Primary School strongly illustrate the exact same pattern –-- the restoration of intangible cultural heritage is, at
its core, the modern expression and ingenious change of its cultural value
As 10s of countless youths end up being experiencers, consumers, creators, and promoters of ICH, these ancient abilities are no longer
relics in requirement of rescue, but have actually changed into a lively cultural movement
Driven by the power of youth, this wave is continually injecting new, future-oriented vitality into Chinas abundant standard culture
