The Chinese Spring Festival has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Intangible Cultural Heritage at its session in Asunción, Paraguay, the organization announced.
The Chinese Spring Festival, also known as Spring Festival, Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is one of the biggest celebrations in China and across East Asia to welcome the New Year. It is said to be a celebration of a unique and special tradition. For example, people clean their homes, go shopping, and prepare delicious food days in advance. Then, on New Year's Eve, families have dinner and stay up late. People often wear new clothes, make offerings to heaven, earth, and ancestors, and greet elders, relatives, friends, and neighbors.
UNESCO recalled that the traditional knowledge of the rituals, customs, stories, and ballads associated with the Spring Festival and the skills of making festive decorations and props are transmitted informally within families and communities, and formally through the public education system. They see the Spring Festival as promoting family values, social cohesion, and peace while providing identity and continuity for the Chinese people.
The Global Times article recalled that China now has 44 Intangible Cultural Heritage sites on the list, ranking first in the world.
In 2003, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation, adopted the International Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which aims to preserve living heritage, recognize cultural diversity and value communities.
