— Summer-long program links heritage protection, creative incubation, immersive visitor experiences and international communication under the theme “Intangible Cultural Heritage Makes Life Better”
SANYA, Hainan, June 5, 2026 – The 2026 Cultural and Natural Heritage Day Hainan Intangible Cultural Heritage Promotion and Showcase Event and the Sixth Sanya Nanshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Season opened Friday morning at Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone, launching a summer-long program that turns Hainan’s living traditions into public experiences, creative products and new channels for cultural exchange.
Guided by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province and jointly hosted by the Wuzhishan Municipal People’s Government and Sanya Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone, the event marks a shift from festival-style display toward a more integrated model of protection, research, innovation, incubation and communication. Under the theme “Intangible Cultural Heritage Makes Life Better,” this year’s season will run throughout the summer with an opening ceremony, heritage market, exhibitions, immersive experiences, hands-on activities and professional exchange sessions.
The program arrives at a moment when Hainan is accelerating the systematic protection and activation of intangible cultural heritage. Over the past year, the province has continued to strengthen its policy framework, expand its talent base, convert cultural resources into industry value and deepen international exchange. Organizers said the season is designed to support the cultural foundation of the Hainan Free Trade Port by making heritage visible, participatory and commercially sustainable.
Since its launch in 2021, the Sanya Nanshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Season has grown from a local cultural event into a nationally recognized heritage IP. Its evolution reflects a broader change in Hainan’s culture and tourism sector: from one-time festivals to year-round cultivation, from static exhibition to visitor participation, and from regional collaboration to international storytelling.
Sun Ruofeng, former Director-General of the Department of Science, Technology and Education of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said at the opening ceremony that intangible cultural heritage gains lasting vitality when it enters daily life and develops the capacity to sustain itself. He noted that over the past six years, Nanshan has helped turn Li brocade, coconut carving, Yazhou folk songs and other heritage items into experiences that visitors can see, touch and join, while also building platforms such as heritage markets, exhibitions, academic exchanges and an overseas cultural and trade exchange center.
Liu Geng, Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Director of the Standing Committee of Sanya Municipal People’s Congress, said in his speech that Sanya is not only blessed with sunshine and beaches, but also boasts precious intangible cultural heritage. By combining performances, interactive workshops, check-in stamp routes, digital communication and cultural and creative incubation, Sanya aims to give inheritors stronger platforms, turn cultural resources into visitor appeal and add long-term momentum to the city’s development as an international cultural tourism destination.
Liu Bingrui, Party Secretary and Chairman of Hainan Nanshan Cultural Tourism Company, said Nanshan is moving intangible cultural heritage from “exhibit” to “experience.” This year’s program includes a photo and image exhibition covering heritage from Hainan’s 18 cities and counties, an intangible cultural heritage market and the Nanshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Elegant Gathering. Through these offerings, Nanshan is advancing its transition from a traditional sightseeing destination to a cultural experience destination, while developing IP brands such as “Nanshan Intangible Cultural Heritage” and “Rulai Ruyi, Zizai Nanshan.”
A key feature of this year’s season is the launch of a co-creation mechanism that links design, production, sales and communication. The Nanshan Institute of Cultural Creativity has opened full-chain support to intangible cultural heritage artisans across China, aiming to connect craftsmanship with modern product development and build a more sustainable operating system for heritage-based cultural and creative industries.
The opening ceremony also highlighted practical progress in heritage innovation. The 2026 Sixth Nanshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Season Outstanding Cultural and Creative Works Awards were presented to recognize new creative achievements. Sanya Nanshan International Intangible Cultural Heritage Center signed cooperation agreements with seven heritage-related cultural and creative brands and institutions, including the Hainan Li Brocade Cultural Industry Alliance, Hangzhou Yihui Cultural Technology Co., Ltd., Guocha-Shangnantang and Hainan Changjiang Lishan Liquor Brewing Co., Ltd., to jointly develop a co-creation ecosystem. “Nanshan Vegetarian Cuisine Preparation Techniques” was also included in the seventh batch of Sanya municipal representative intangible cultural heritage items and received an official plaque.
Performances at the ceremony brought together heritage forms from across China, including Shaanxi’s Ansai Waist Drum, Suzhou Pingtan by national-level inheritor Gao Bowen, Peking Opera by martial male-role performer Zhou Enxu, and the Mongolian morin khuur piece “Ten Thousand Horses Galloping.” Renowned performing artist Zhu Xijuan was appointed promotional ambassador for the season and joined Xu Wenguang in a guzheng-accompanied poetry recitation titled “Nanshan Intangible Cultural Heritage: Oriental Charm.” National first-class actor Zeng Yong performed the theme song “Great China, Grand National Fortune,” before Xiang Zhaolun, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, formally announced the opening of the season.
Beyond the opening ceremony, the season will continue to build immersive culture-tourism scenarios across the scenic area, including heritage markets, elegant gatherings, handcraft experience zones and youth-oriented routes. Thematic exchange sessions will bring experts together to discuss digital and intelligent empowerment as well as industrial development paths for intangible cultural heritage. A bilingual content creator group will work with domestic and international bloggers to expand all-media communication and introduce Hainan’s heritage stories to wider audiences.
As Hainan enters a new development stage, the Sixth Sanya Nanshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Season positions heritage not only as cultural memory, but also as a living resource for tourism, creativity, education and international exchange. By connecting mountains and sea,
tradition and youth, protection and industry, Nanshan is seeking to make centuries-old craftsmanship and performance part of contemporary life while adding fresh cultural vitality to the Hainan Free Trade Port.
Contact Info:
Name: Xufeng
Email: Send Email
Organization: Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone
Website: https://www.nanshan.com
Release ID: 89194552
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