分类： culture

Centuries-old traditional Chinese crafts are finding new life in the 21st century, thanks to innovators willing to bridge time-honored skills and cutting-edge digital tools. For Hao Guifen, a 67-year-old inheritor of Yangliuqing paper-cutting, a 300-year-old folk craft rooted in northern China, that transformation has turned her work into a globally recognized cultural treasure. Today, her reimagined take on the art form even serves as a recurring national gift for international diplomatic exchange.

Hao’s journey of artistic revolution began back in the 1990s, when she first stepped away from the monochromatic red paper that has long defined traditional Chinese paper-cutting, used most commonly for holiday window decorations. Over decades of refinement, she organized her evolved creative system into four core technical pillars, with multilayered and dyed paper-cutting emerging as the signature innovations that set her work apart.

The biggest breakthrough came when Hao turned to technology to solve a persistent creative challenge. As she pushed the boundaries of her craft to create more intricate layered works, she found her naked eye could no longer accurately distinguish the subtle color gradients needed for seamless separation of layers. That barrier fell when a younger member of her family introduced her to computer-aided design, which now helps her precisely decompose patterns into individual layers. Today, her most complex pieces feature up to 18 stacked layers of hand-cut colored paper, creating a nuanced three-dimensional effect that mimics the depth of fine art painting.

Walk into Hao’s Tianjin-based studio in Xiqing District, and visitors are immediately met with walls lined with paper-cutting works spanning every size and theme. While traditional motifs remain a core part of her practice—each carrying the symbolic meaning that has long anchored folk art—she has also expanded her subjects to fit modern tastes. A lush persimmon tree, for example, plays on the Chinese homophone for persimmon and “affairs” to convey the traditional wish “may all things go as you desire”, while a layered rolling mountain landscape symbolizes enduring prosperity and steady, long-lasting good fortune. Alongside these classic themes, she also creates designs of popular anime characters that resonate with younger audiences, bringing the ancient craft into the lived experience of modern generations.

Many of her large-scale hanging works stretch more than two meters long, with intricate details and rich, vivid coloration that completely upend common expectations of paper-cutting. At first glance, many visitors mistake her finely layered works for oil paintings or delicate fine-brush Chinese watercolors—only on close inspection do they notice the precise, hand-cut edges that reveal the work’s true identity. Her giant panda design is a perfect example: every shade of the animal’s iconic black-and-white coat comes from a separate, individually cut layer of paper, stacked to create subtle light and shadow that gives the piece remarkable depth.

Yangliuqing paper-cutting was first recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Tianjin when it was added to the city’s second batch of protected heritage items back in 2009. Since then, Hao’s innovative fusion of traditional scissors work and modern digital design has elevated the craft far beyond its local roots, bringing it to a global audience and securing its place as a distinctive representative of Chinese traditional culture on the world stage. As she continues to teach the craft to a new generation of enthusiasts, her work proves that even centuries-old traditions can thrive when paired with creative adaptation and modern innovation.

Nestled in China’s Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen — a city whose name has been synonymous with porcelain craftsmanship for more than a millennium — is steadily building a new reputation as a welcoming crossroads for creative talent from across the globe. Blending centuries-old artisanal traditions with cutting-edge modern infrastructure and an open, inclusive creative culture, the city is drawing a growing stream of international artists, designers, and cultural explorers who find its unique duality irresistible.

One of the many foreign creatives who have put down roots in Jingdezhen is Canadian artist Philip Read. In the center of his local studio sits a porcelain plate that stands as his most cherished work, and a quiet meditation on the city that inspires him. The hand-painted piece depicts a river cutting through Jingdezhen, splitting its landscape into two complementary worlds. One bank bustles with distinctly modern energy, dotted with recognizable global brand logos from popular chain restaurants KFC and McDonald’s. The opposite bank unfolds into a serene, timeless landscape of sloped tiled roofs, arched stone bridges, green fields, and still water — a slower, calmer existence that holds its own gentle power against the hurry of 21st-century life.

For Read, the painted plate is far more than just an art object: it is a perfect reflection of Jingdezhen itself. “It is both modern and international, but if you look a little further, Jingdezhen is still calm, still able to make you focus,” he explained. “That is part of its charm.”

This unique balance — an open, globally connected creative ecosystem that never loses the textured, quiet soul of its centuries-old craft heritage — is the core of Jingdezhen’s growing magnetic pull for artists from overseas. Long renowned globally as China’s unrivaled porcelain capital, the city earned international recognition for its cultural legacy when it was named a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art back in 2014. In recent years, targeted investments in artist residency programs, large-scale international ceramic art exhibitions, open-air creative markets, and cross-cultural exchange platforms have turned the city into a must-visit destination for ceramic artists and creatives of all disciplines. Photographs of international artists at work in Jingdezhen’s creative hubs, like Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue, have showcased the city’s vibrant, inclusive creative scene to audiences around the world, cementing its rising status in the global contemporary art world.

Nestled in eastern China’s Shandong Province, the city of Heze has long been known as China’s peony capital, where sprawling fields of layered, fragrant blooms draw visitors every spring. But in mid-April 2026, the city proved it offers far more than just picturesque floral displays, when it played host to the 2026 Heze Peony International Communication Forum on April 11.

The event drew a diverse crowd of guests from every corner of the globe, who traveled to Heze not just to admire the peonies in full spring bloom, but to engage in open, people-to-people cross-cultural exchange rooted in the shared connection of the city’s iconic flower. Attendees spanned multiple sectors and backgrounds: from international journalists and media professionals covering China’s cultural development, to foreign students and educators studying at Chinese institutions, all united by a curiosity to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and people-to-people ties.

Organized around the central theme of peony as a cultural bond, the forum created intentional space for informal dialogue and firsthand connection, allowing global guests to move beyond secondhand narratives and experience Heze’s unique cultural heritage directly. What began as a celebration of one of China’s most beloved traditional flowers has grown into a platform for building global mutual understanding, proving that floral culture can serve as a soft, accessible entry point for cross-border friendship and collaboration. For Heze, the forum marks another step in positioning the city as a welcoming hub for international exchange, where ancient cultural traditions meet modern global dialogue.

In the heart of China’s famed “Peony Capital” of Heze, Shandong province, global stakeholders from academia, government, and cultural institutions gathered on Saturday for the 2026 Heze Peony International Communication Forum, a landmark event designed to frame the iconic peony flower as a powerful cross-cultural bridge fostering global mutual understanding. Bringing together officials, scholars and industry specialists from nations including Russia and Italy, the forum builds on centuries of peony cultivation heritage in Heze to open new avenues for people-to-people connection across borders.

This gathering marks a core component of the 2026 World Peony Conference, a 30-day global event that launched the previous day under the unifying theme “Blooming Across the World, Cultivating Shared Beauty”. The conference and accompanying forum shine a global spotlight on Heze’s unparalleled legacy as one of the world’s preeminent centers of peony cultivation: the region boasts more than 1,500 years of continuous peony growing history, with 1,308 officially registered varieties spanning nine distinct color groups and 10 unique flower forms. Beyond its cultural significance, Heze’s peony industry has grown into a major economic driver, with the total output value spanning from primary cultivation to high-value processed peony goods surpassing 13 billion yuan in 2025.

The forum opened with a symbolic act of cross-cultural friendship, as Tatiana Bakurova, principal of Oryol State First High School in Russia, presented an original oil painting of peonies titled *Flower of Friendship* — a work created collectively by her school’s teachers and students. In return, the Publicity Department of Heze gifted the Russian delegation a traditional handcrafted peony paper-cut artwork, a tangible example of China’s intangible cultural heritage tied to the iconic bloom. This gift exchange set the collaborative tone for the day’s discussions.

In his opening address, Zhang Lun, secretary of the Heze Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, emphasized the universal appeal of floral aesthetics. “Flowers are an aesthetic language that transcends national borders,” Zhang noted. He called for coordinated collective action to advance two complementary goals: expanding global access to Heze’s peony varieties and cultural products, while welcoming international floral expertise and cultural exchange to Heze. This dual approach, Zhang argued, would inject fresh momentum into global efforts to build a harmonious shared global community rooted in mutual respect and understanding.

On Friday, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, one of China’s busiest aviation hubs, held an unveiling ceremony for a full-scale replica of China’s first domestically built airplane at its Terminal 2. Named the “Wing Can”, this new installation honors the groundbreaking legacy of Feng Ru, a pioneering aviation engineer from Guangdong Province who designed and constructed the original aircraft in 1909.

Feng Ru, who is widely recognized as the father of Chinese aviation, achieved the historic feat of building and flying China’s first powered airplane more than a century ago, laying the early ideological and technical groundwork for the country’s modern aviation industry. Born in 1884, Feng Ru passed away at a young age in 1912, but his contributions to Chinese aerospace innovation have never been forgotten.

In an official statement released following the unveiling, airport officials framed the new replica as more than a historical monument. The installation is described as a lasting symbol of exploratory ambition, cross-continental connection, and forward momentum, carrying the auspicious cultural connotation of a nation reaching new heights and rising with opportunity. The statement added that the exhibit underscores the unwavering lofty aspirations and pioneering spirit of China’s broader aviation sector, which continues to pursue groundbreaking technological breakthroughs and chart new courses for global connectivity in the modern era. For passengers passing through one of China’s most central travel hubs, the replica offers a tangible connection to the 100-plus-year history of Chinese aviation innovation.

For practitioners of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism, earning the tradition’s highest academic degree is no simple feat. It demands decades of dedicated, rigorous study of Buddhist scriptures, philosophy, and core doctrines, laying a deep foundational knowledge that candidates must draw on for their final, make-or-break evaluation.

That final public test, known as the Geshe Lharampa defence, takes place at one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most sacred sites: Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Xizang Autonomous Region. Unlike typical academic defences in secular higher education, this centuries-old ritual centres on structured, dynamic debate. Candidates must respond to probing, often challenging questions from senior monks and fellow scholar-practitioners, defending their interpretations of Buddhist teachings with sharp logical reasoning, quick critical thinking, and deep mastery of the tradition.

This public event is far more than a degree requirement. It is a living showcase of the long-standing academic and spiritual traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, bringing together generations of practitioners to uphold centuries of knowledge transmission within the faith. Visible to onlookers, the passionate exchanges between debaters highlight the intellectual rigor that defines the path to earning the tradition’s highest honor, preserving a cultural and spiritual practice that has endured for hundreds of years.

Against the soft backdrop of blooming crabapple blossoms at Beijing’s Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling — a historic site that has welcomed visiting international figures for decades — more than 200 guests from nearly 40 nations came together on April 4, 2026 to mark the arrival of spring and celebrate the shared art of poetry. Organized by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation with backing from the municipal government of Xicheng District, the 2026 Crabapple Gala and Poetry Party centered on cross-cultural literary exchange, blending recitations and performances that bridge Eastern and Western artistic traditions.

Among the standout participants was Michael Crook, chair of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, who stepped to the stage to deliver a recitation of *Crabapple Nook*, a classic work by Song Dynasty poet Yang Wanli. Crook, who grew up in China and comes from a pioneering family — his mother was one of the earliest educators to develop modern English language teaching curricula across the country — explained his choice of poem, noting that Yang’s vivid lines perfectly capture the delicate grace of crabapple blossoms following recent rainfall that swept through Beijing. To highlight the shared poetic imagery that connects global literary traditions, he also performed a recitation of A. E. Housman’s beloved British poem *The Loveliest of Trees*, pointing out that Housman’s iconic metaphor of snow-dusted cherry blossoms mirrors thematic and imagery patterns found throughout centuries of Chinese poetry.

Against the backdrop of 2026 being designated the Year of China-Africa People-to-People Exchanges, event organizers extended special invitations to African diplomats and cultural representatives to take part in the gathering. Attendees were treated to a diverse lineup of performances that wove together Chinese and African cultural influences, including traditional Chinese opera, West African drumming, and collaborative dance pieces. In a multilingual highlight of the event, Chinese actor Du Ninglin joined international performing artists to recite original and classic poetry in five different languages, underscoring the event’s mission of breaking down linguistic barriers through shared appreciation of the arts.

Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, permanent representative of the African Union to China, summed up the spirit of the gathering, noting that “There is no better way of starting the spring in China.” For his part, when asked about his personal connection to crabapple trees beyond poetry, Crook laughed and shared a lighthearted personal note: “I really like my self-made crabapple sauce.”

Held in the historic gardens where Soong Ching Ling once hosted global guests amid flowering crabapple canopies, the event went beyond a simple celebration of spring, serving as a living example of how cultural and literary exchange can foster connection between people from every corner of the world.

For Wang Lining, a linguistics professor at Beijing Language and Culture University and a Guangxi native working far from home, a recent interaction with Doubao, a popular Chinese artificial intelligence chatbot, delivered far more than a technical demonstration. When she spoke to the platform in her native Cantonese dialect and received a seamless, natural response, the moment was less about cutting-edge processing power and more about a long-awaited emotional reconnection to her roots.

“Living in Beijing, few people can talk with me using the hometown language,” she explained, describing the quiet joy of speaking a tongue that carries the memories and cultural identity of her childhood.

This small, personal milestone is part of a much larger national initiative to safeguard China’s extraordinary linguistic diversity and revitalize fading local languages and dialects for the 21st century. Late last year, China’s Ministry of Education joined forces with six other national ministries to release a landmark policy notice focused on deepening the inheritance and innovative development of Chinese language culture, a framework that views regional dialects and ethnic minority languages not as outdated relics, but as living repositories of history, community identity and intangible cultural heritage that stretch from folk oral traditions to local social customs.

Home to 56 ethnic groups, China boasts one of the world’s most linguistically diverse landscapes, encompassing between seven and 10 major dialect groups and more than 130 distinct languages. For decades, however, rapid urbanization and the widespread, necessary adoption of Mandarin as a national lingua franca left many local mother tongues at risk of fading into disuse, as younger generations grew up speaking primarily Mandarin and fewer opportunities remained to pass regional dialects down through families and communities.

Officials from the Ministry of Education’s Department of Language and Writing Information Management note that the new policy aims to drive creative transformation and modern development of Chinese language culture, boost public linguistic and cultural literacy especially among young people, and support national goals of building global leadership in education, culture and talent development. For Wang, the multi-ministerial notice marks the end of more than a decade of exploratory work, turning a long-held vision for language preservation into an actionable, coordinated national strategy.

Since 2012, China has released a series of policy documents guiding the inheritance and protection of Chinese language culture, with the latest framework building on early pilot programs to lay out clear, detailed roadmaps for future action. Wang emphasized that the initiative goes far beyond education alone, tying language preservation to broader economic and social development. “It plays a role not only in school education, but also in urban and rural production and livelihood, cultural tourism and cultural relics conservation. It can unleash great potential in socioeconomic development,” she said.

A key strength of the new policy is its emphasis on cross-sector collaboration, Wang added. In the past, efforts by private enterprises, universities and independent language experts often operated in isolation, lacking coordination to scale successful projects. The participation of multiple national ministries will allow organizers to systematize the scattered successful initiatives from across the country, “stringing them together like beads, thereby ushering in a new era of systematic advancement,” she explained.

The policy outlines seven core priorities for advancing the cause: strengthening scientific research and interpretation of linguistic heritage, expanding inclusive language education, protecting and developing existing language resources, leveraging digital empowerment, cultivating specialized talent, broadening public outreach, and deepening cultural exchange through language. For researchers like Rao Gaoqi, a linguistics researcher at Beijing Language and Culture University, the focus on digital innovation stands out as a game-changing shift.

“Digital technology is extremely helpful for the development of language and culture. Conversely, the growth of language culture also serves as a driving force behind the advancement of digital technology,” Rao explained. Beyond academic research, this digital empowerment delivers tangible benefits for public safety and economic development, most notably in the creation of barrier-free emergency language services. During large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, the National Language Service Corps partners with the Ministry of Emergency Management to ensure first responders can communicate effectively with elderly residents who may only speak their local dialect. This capability has even been extended internationally: when a devastating earthquake struck Turkiye in 2023, Chinese-developed large language models were deployed to provide real-time translation between Chinese, English and local Turkish languages to support rescue efforts.

“Language and script are fundamental. We learn to write and speak not for their own sake, but to work, to love and to live our lives well. Language itself is a basic resource. The digitization of language is likewise a foundational endeavor that serves to empower everything else,” Rao said.

For more than a decade, Wang has been a core participant in the national Project for the Protection of Language Resources of China, an initiative that originally focused on documenting and archiving fading dialects before shifting to a new, more dynamic goal: moving beyond “saving and recording” to “bringing them back to life and utilizing them” in daily life. Over the course of the project, teams of linguists traveled to nearly 1,800 locations across the country to systematically document local dialects through fieldwork and multimedia recording, building a comprehensive national digital archive of China’s vocal cultural heritage. Today, those collected materials are being transformed into accessible cultural products that are integrated into everyday life.

Under the new policy, qualified local governments and institutions are encouraged to repurpose historic buildings and public spaces to create venues dedicated to preserving and promoting linguistic cultural heritage. Last year, for example, a dialect museum opened in Wuyi County, Zhejiang Province, housed in a restored historic traditional residence. Visitors can view traditional farming tools and vintage household items, and when they touch an exhibit, audio recordings of the local dialect terms for the object play, drawing on language materials collected by the project’s Zhejiang team to help local residents reconnect with their traditional way of life.

Today, local dialects are increasingly appearing in pop culture, from original songs and television dramas to a growing range of creative consumer products. Wang says the goal of the movement is not limited to academic archives or static museum displays. “We want to create offerings that are part of everyday life — practical, engaging and fun — so that people willingly take part in keeping language culture alive and helping it grow,” she explained.

Xing Biqian, a researcher at the China National Academy of Educational Sciences, echoed this focus on lived, daily practice as the key to long-term revitalization. “Language is the carrier of civilization and the root of culture, and practice is precisely the key to activating this root and enabling civilization to take hold,” Xing said. “When we lift the language culture from the pages of textbooks and make it part of everyday life, it begins to take root in hearts and minds. Through lived experience, it shapes not only how we learn and communicate, but also who we become: how we think, what we value, and what we find beautiful. That is where its true power lies.”