Intangible cultural heritages hidden in Yantai: Part I

Yantai, a beautiful port city in East China's Shandong province, is home to many intangible culture heritages. To date a total of 13 items have been included on the national intangible cultural heritage list such as Haiyang yangko, Laizhou straw weaving and Yantai paper-cutting.

Haiyang yangko

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Haiyang yangko, a traditional folk dance, traces back to 1425 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). At first, it was performed solely at the sea sacrifice festival. It has now become a necessity as part of celebrations of grand festivals such as Chinese New Year.

It is popular in the rural area in Haiyang of Yantai and features grand rhythms to express working people's strength and resilience. It was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. 

Laizhou straw weaving

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Laizhou straw weaving, a traditional handcraft in Yantai, originated from the countryside of Shahe River. It has a history of over 1500 years and was added on the list of National Intangible Culture Heritages in 2008.

A handful of wheat straw can be made into various straw products such as hats, bags and vases by braiding. Laizhou straw weaving is used in over 4000 varieties in designs and colors and its products are sold in China and 80 countries and regions across the world.

Yantai paper-cutting

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Known for its intricate skills and innovative characters, Yantai paper-cutting boasts a long history as it can be dated back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It features various themes such as plum blossoms, phoenix and peony flowers, Chinese zodiac symbols, famous tourist attractions, Peking opera masks and Olympic mascots.

Changdao Yuhao

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"Changdao Yuhao", or work songs sung by fishermen in the Changdao county of Yantai. The work songs dates back to more than 380 years. With simple lyrics, the work songs can synchronize movements when fishermen are engaged in heavy manual labor. In 2008, it was included on the list of the second batch of national intangible cultural heritages.