Ordos adds 5 national inheritors of intangible cultural heritage

A recent list published by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed that five men from Ordos,  Inner Mongolia autonomous region, were recognized as “representative inheritors of key intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items”.

The five inheritors are Guribasier, who falls into the category of Gu Ru Songs, a distinctive musical form mastered only by some few ethnically Mongolian people; Mongolian language calligraphy expert Bao Jinshan; Guorizhabu, a skilled practitioner of the Genghis Khan Memorial Ceromony customs; traditional Ordos wedding celebrant, Caonamu; and Gaerdinaoribu, a master of the traditional Chagansulide sacrificial ceremony.

By designating the representative inheritors, the authorities have chosen to honor those masters of cultural significance to further promote the preservation of their work and chosen tradition.

The Ordos government has given much attention to ICH preservation work through a variety of measures and means, releasing several documents and notices on local ICH preservation and providing a legal basis for the protection.

The government also started a program of developing Ordos into a national experimental area for intangible cultural heritage preservation, with the hope of enhancing such efforts throughout China.

Ordos currently holds six national-level ICH items, 75 regional-level ICH items and 180 city-level ICH items. Nine Ordos residents have been honored as representative inheritors of national ICH items. More residents were also honored as ICH inheritors, 77 at regional level and 233 at city level.

Guribasier teaches Gu Ru Songs to students at a school in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. [Photo/WeChat account of Ordosnews]