BEIJING: Recently, inheritors of intangible cultural heritage from Anji county in Zhejiang province lit rows of bamboo lamps along a section of the Great Wall in Beijing, lighting up its gate towers, parapets and beacon towers. The ceremony was part of the Anji intangible cultural heritage exhibition this year, and was held on the Great Wall where it runs through Juyong Pass, attracting tourists from around the world. The traditional cultural fair is a showcase of tea and bamboo products from the county. In a space dedicated to tea culture, inheritors listed as masters of hand-roasted white tea making techniques demonstrated their skill at brewing Anji’s trademark tea.
In another area dedicated to replacing plastic with bamboo, everyday items and creative products like woven bamboo bags and bamboo bowls offered up new ideas for environmental protection, energy conservation, and ultimately, for reducing emissions. In addition, inheritors performed bamboo leaf dragon dances and other traditional dances, and played music on bamboo instruments.
Known as the “first bamboo town in China”, as well as the home of its own type of white tea, Anji is a major center of intangible cultural heritage in Zhejiang province. It is home to 200 examples of intangible cultural heritage registered at the county level and above, including one world-class, two national, and thirteen provincial items.
The majority are related to bamboo and white tea. On Nov 29 last year, traditional Chinese tea-making techniques and related customs, including the techniques for producing Anji white tea, were included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
