Date：2017-06-22The 5th International (Shanghai) Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Forum was held

The theme of this forum is “Commonality & Difference - the Implementation and Vision of the ICH Convention”, which focuses on the situation after the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO, deals with new challenges and new opportunities in the field of ICH Protection, discusses the commonality and difference of methods and ways from all over the world in ICH protection, shares the common issues encountered by different countries in the field of ICH protection, shares typical experience and practices and brings new inspiration and opportunity for the development of ICH protection and the cultural exchanges of different countries.

Guests from all the fields gathered together to witness the grand opening of the 5th International (Shanghai) Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Forum.

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Mr. Joshua Bobley, Visiting Scholar of Oxford University, hosted the keynote forum.

Mr. Muqing Hu, Secretary of the Organizing Committee, introduced the participating guests.

Mr. Guangyong Liu, Representative of Guiding Unit, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government Foreign Affairs Office, delivered a speech.

Ms. Radwa Yakout, Special Assistant of the Governor of Alexandria in the Arab Republic of Egypt, delivered a speech.

Mr. Shengde Ma, Former Inspector of Intangible Cultural Heritage Division, the Ministry of Culture of China, Member of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Experts Committee, delivered a speech. 

Mr. Zhan Wang, General Director of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, delivered a speech. 

Mr. Kyung Hwan Kang, General Director of National Intangible Heritage Center of South Korea, delivered a speech.
 

 Mr. Gang Bai, Former Minister - Counselor of the Chinese embassy in Japan, Counselor of the Silk Road Institute, delivered a speech.

Ms. Eszter CSONKA-TAKÁCS, President of the ICH Expert Committee of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO, delivered a speech.

Ms. Dana K?u?árová,General Director of the Slovakian Center for Folk Art Production, delivered a speech.

Mr. NOBORU HATA, President of Kyoto Arts and Crafts Artists Association, delivered a speech.

Besides, many representatives such as Ms. Shana Chang, Former Member of the 9th NPC Standing Committee, Former Deputy Chairman of the Chinese Artist Association, Former President of Central Academy of Art & Design, Member of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Expert Committee, Mr. Kuili Liu, Honorary President of Chinese Folklore Academy, Honorary Member of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Deputy President of National Intangible Cultural Protection Experts Committee, Mr. ZENGORO EIRAKU, The 17th Generation of EIRAKU YAKI Successor, Distinguished Professor of Kyoto City University of Arts, Mr. Qingguo Lai, National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor, Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts has also prepared specially written speech.

The two forums held in the afternoon have also attracted so many Chinese and foreign experts and scholars that the venue was packed. Mr. Martin Sítek, Representative of the Czech National Institute of Folk Culture, Mr. Fengming Cai, President of Cultural Institute of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Drafting Expert of Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Regulations, Ms. HONT Angéla Eszter, Head of Marketing and Programming of Hungarian Heritage House, Mr. Fucheng Yi, Deputy President of Beijing Arts and Crafts Association, Chairman of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Production Demonstration Base, Chairman of Beijing Enamel Factory Co., LTD., Mr. SATOSHI HARA, Professor in metalworking major of Processing Department of Kanazawa College of Art in Japan, Mr. In Chin Lee, Professor in ceramics and glass art major of Hongik University in South Korea, Ms. Uli Aigner, Representative of Austrian artists, Mr. KOMOR István, Deputy Manager of Zsolnay Heritage Management Non-Profit Ltd., Pécs, Mr. Picheng Zhao, Representative Inheritor of the Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Project (Shanghai Style Jade Carving), have respectively share their opinions about the ICH protection. 

Experts from Asia, Europe and Africa shared their opinions.

According to the introduction of the representative from the Host Unit, the 5th International (Shanghai) Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Forum is an upgrade and improvement on the basic of the experience of the 1st to 4th session.

By cultural communications along “The Belt & Road”, especially by the experience exchanges in the ICH protection field, the Organizing Committee hopes to vigorously promote and inherit the outstanding cultural tradition and human values from all around the world, to promote the ICH protection cooperation of the sister cities of Shanghai together and lay a foundation for building the “ICH Protection Association of Sister Cities” in Shanghai.  

Mr. Shengde Ma, Former Inspector of Intangible Cultural Heritage Division, Ministry of Culture of China, Member of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Experts Committee, Member of Chinese Expert Evaluation Commission of UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, has attended the forum and spoke highly of it. In his opinion, the level of many experts participating in the forum is very high, since most of them are top representatives from different countries. Several are also the leaders or directors of National ICH Institute. Besides, because the experts were fully prepared before delivering a speech, the forum was extraordinarily informative. Last but not least, the experience of the forum would not only be very helpful for the communications between counterparts from all over the world, but also have significance for the competent authorities including Chinese Government.

Participating experts from different countries spoke also highly of the forum. According to the opinions of experts from Japan, Korea, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, etc., they have learned a lot in the forum. They look expectantly forward to the realization of building “The Belt & Road” ICH Protection Association, which was advocated by the Organizing Committee.