An atlas of intangible cultural heritage items in North China's Shanxi province has won expert approval, according to the provincial administration of surveying, mapping and geo-information.

As a provincial-level project, it took compilers almost two years to finish the atlas, which contains about 220 sketches, 100 pictures and some 50,000 words. The atlas also includes representative projects as well as protection measures for them. It features originality in both planning and compilation since there is little reference in the field.

The first of its kind nationwide, the atlas explains the background of the province’s intangible cultural heritage items, shows their distribution on the map and offers information about such things as their protection.

The atlas includes a detailed background of intangible heritage items by such things as their location, historical development and tangible items. It also offers an introduction to the census of intangible heritage items as well as their categories. Representative programs in the atlas include their content as well as their distribution at the county, city, provincial and national level. The part dedicated to their protection includes relevant laws and agencies as well as protective zones, demonstration bases and themed museums, offering a systematic review of the Shanxi government’s achievements in this aspect.

The atlas will be published soon after it incorporates items in the nation’s newly-released fourth batch of intangible heritage programs.

Edited by Michael Thai