China

Inscribed in 2025 (20.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

When the element was first inscribed, only five storytellers were still capable of performing certain Yimakan cantos, and the traditional practices associated with the Hezhen oral narratives faced several threats. This programme has engaged families, communities, schools, local authorities and the State in safeguarding the custom. Its integration into schools has sparked increased interest among younger generations while promoting the transmission of the Hezhen language. The programme’s strong focus on gender has also resulted in an increase in women’s participation.

The element was first inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2011, as with the acceleration of modernization and the standardization of school education, the Hezhen mother tongue was endangered and only elders could speak their native language. Today, thanks to an increased awareness of the element and its cultural meanings, more and more women have engaged in the practice, contributing greatly to its transmission. The related knowledge, including the local language, as the vehicle of the element, has also been integrated into formal education, stimulating the interest of youth. As the practising communities have no writing system, Yimakan plays a key role in preserving their mother tongue, religion, beliefs, folklore and customs. In addition to education and entertainment, Yimakan storytelling promotes cultural identity and a sense of continuity among communities. It provides a means of preserving collective memory and promoting dialogue and mutual respect. It also transmits the values of justice, bravery and kindness, while promoting freedom, social cohesion and harmony between humans and nature.