Yimakan storytelling earns global recognition

At its 20th regular session in New Delhi on Thursday, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage decided to move China's "Hezhen Yimakan storytelling" from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In recognition of the remarkable progress made in preserving this tradition, the committee also decided to include the safeguarding program for Hezhen Yimakan storytelling in the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.

This achievement marks another successful transition of a heritage project into the representative list, following the successful inclusion of three projects, including the "Li Ethnic Traditional Spinning, Dyeing, Weaving, and Embroidery Techniques", in 2024. It's also the first instance of a project that has been simultaneously transitioned and added to the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.

China now has 45 projects included in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage lists, the highest number of entries of any country in the world.

The Hezhe people live in the Heilong-Songhua-Ussuri-river region of northeastern China. With a population of just over 5,000, they are among China's smallest ethnic groups.

Yimakan storytelling is a rich oral tradition that has been passed down through generations. It is narrated in the Hezhe language and combines prose with verse to convey the ethnic history, heroic stories, fishing and hunting lifestyle, rituals, customs, and moral values of the Hezhe people. This tradition plays a key role in recording history, educating future generations, and providing entertainment.

Since being listed as a project in urgent need of protection in 2011, a wide range of stakeholders — including community members, tradition bearers, social groups, research and educational institutions, cultural heritage protection centers, and government bodies — have collaborated to enhance its vitality and visibility.

In December 2023, when China submitted the third periodic report on the safeguarding status of this heritage project to UNESCO, it also applied for its transfer to the Representative List. The committee reviewed and approved this report at its 19th session in December 2024, recognizing China's efforts and encouraging ongoing practice and transmission, with an emphasis on community involvement in protective measures.