The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed the Spring Festival, marking the beginning of the traditional Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar, and the associated social practices of the Chinese people, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This was reported by the Xinhua News Agency.
The corresponding decision was made at the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which is being held in 1 Paraguay from December 2 to 7.
The Committee took into account the wide range of rituals and unique cultural elements inherent in this festival, which involve all of Chinese society. The Spring Festival embodies harmony between people and nature and contributes to sustainable development in areas such as food security and education. It also plays a key role in raising environmental awareness.
As UNESCO emphasized, the Spring Festival includes various social practices, including prayers for good fortune and family reunions. On this day, events are held that are planned by the older generation, and festive community events are organized by communities.
Traditional knowledge and customs associated with the Spring Festival are transmitted both informally within families and communities and formally through the education system. Crafts and artistic skills associated with the festival are passed down through apprenticeships, fostering family values, social cohesion, and peace, as well as shaping a sense of cultural identity.
The head of the Chinese delegation at the UNESCO session, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China Zhao Quian, thanked UNESCO for recognizing the Spring Festival. He expressed confidence that the inclusion of the Spring Festival in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO will contribute to the promotion of the universal values of peace and harmony and will underscore the important role of intangible cultural heritage in sustainable development.
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