Carvers of Tibetan woodblock, a printing tradition that has been passed down for more than 340 years, work in their studio in Lhasa, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region. JIANG FAN/TENZING NIMA QADHUP/XINHUA

Recent measures ensure growth of legacy and skill base

Over decades of sustained efforts, authorities in the Xizang autonomous region have significantly advanced the protection, inheritance, and development of its intangible cultural heritage.

From 2012 to 2024, both the central government and regional authorities allocated 473 million yuan ($65.85 million) in dedicated funding to preserve its cultural legacy, according to a white paper published this year.

The investment has driven comprehensive initiatives including safeguarding representative intangible cultural heritage projects, systematically documenting master inheritors at the national level, supporting apprenticeship programs and transmission activities, and building dedicated conservation facilities.

Tangible outcomes highlight the success of these efforts. Xizang now boasts about 2,760 protected intangible cultural heritage items. Among them, Gesar epic tradition, Tibetan Opera, and the Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa have been registered on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.