Shanxi established it first cultural and creative base featuring intangible cultural heritage in Taiyuan on Feb 1, with the aim of encouraging craftsmanship, strengthening cultural relic protection and passing down traditional customs.

The cultural and creative base was built by Shanxi Arts and Crafts Group and Shanxi Culture Center. The base intends to develop a comprehensive and modern platform for displays, research, preservation and education, according to Li Ronggang, chairman of Shanxi Arts and Crafts Group.

It consists of an exhibition area for intangible cultural heritage, an apartment, an antiqued street displaying folk specialties and crafts in Shanxi, a small theatre, and a gallery where various traditional dramas and exhibitions can be staged.

Currently, nearly 30 provincial and national companies engaged in intangible cultural heritage such as embroidery, woodcarving and processing crafts of traditional Chinese medicine, have displayed their products and techniques in the exhibition area for intangible cultural heritage.

The apartment in the base aims to solve the accommodation needs of startups from universities, especially arts colleges.

In addition, exclusive shops selling specialties and handicrafts from undeveloped counties in Shanxi including Daixian, Loufan and Jingle have been set up in the base to help boost the economy.

Children try pyrography at an intangible cultural heritage-featured cultural and creative base in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, Feb 2. The base is the first of its kind in the province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Gourd handicrafts on show at an intangible cultural heritage-featured cultural and creative base in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, Feb 2. [Photo/Xinhua]