The Committee,

1. Recalling the initial inscription of ‘Hezhen Yimakan storytelling’ on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding by the sixth session of the Committee in 2011 (Decision COM 8.6),
2. Further recalling the latest periodic report submitted by China on the status of this element, as examined by the nineteenth session of the Committee in 2024 (Decision COM 6.a.9),
3. Takes note of the request submitted by China to transfer Hezhen Yimakan storytelling (No. 02224) from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

Yimakan storytelling is an oral heritage that conveys the ethnic history, heroic deeds, lifestyle, customs and morals of its practitioners. The stories describe tribal alliances and battles, including the defeat of monsters and invaders by local heroes. Performers improvise stories, alternating between speaking and singing (without instrumental accompaniment) and using varying melodies to represent different characters and plots. They usually train in a master–apprentice relationship within their own clans and families, although today outsiders are increasingly accepted for apprenticeship.

4. Considers that, from the information included in the request and the periodic report on the status of the element on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, the request satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

R.1:   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.

R.2:   Inscription of the element would contribute to raising awareness about the importance and diversity of intangible cultural heritage in the Hezhen community. Furthermore, strongly connected to the moral values of the community, this element contributes to fostering quality education, gender equality, peace and social cohesion. The fact that the associated knowledge, including the Hezhen language in which it is conveyed, is integrated into formal education favours young people’s understanding of the element and their participation in its safeguarding. Similarly, the growing role of women renders this cultural element more inclusive.

R.3:   Numerous safeguarding measures in the fields of research, documentation, knowledge transmission, preservation and promotion of the element's visibility have been successfully implemented by the State Party and the bearers. Key elements of the safeguarding measures adopted include the integration of the element into formal education and the strengthening of Hezhen linguistic heritage.

R.4:   The Hezhen communities, including representatives of local bearers and practitioners, have expressed their free, prior and informed consent to the transfer request. These communities’ active participation in the safeguarding efforts and expressed desire for the transfer highlight their ongoing commitment to the practice and its recognition.

R.5:   The element was added to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Heilongjiang Province and to the First List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006. These lists are managed by Heilongjiang Province and by the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, respectively, and are regularly updated with the informed participation and involvement of the communities, groups, and individuals concerned.

5. Decides to transfer Hezhen Yimakan storytelling from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;
6. Further takes note of the simultaneous request by China to include in the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices the safeguarding experience presented in the transfer request:

At the time of the initial inscription, only five storytellers were still capable of performing certain Yimakan cantos, and the traditional practices associated with the Hezhen oral narratives faced several threats. In this context, a well-structured programme has engaged families, communities, schools, local authorities and the State in safeguarding this living heritage element. Its integration into schools has sparked increased interest among younger generations, both in oral storytelling and in their involvement in the safeguarding of the element. Beyond intangible cultural heritage specifically, the integration of the practice into formal education has also promoted the transmission of the Hezhen language. The gender dimension has also been included in the safeguarding interventions, which have promoted greater participation by women through expanding and strengthening the transmission of knowledge related to Hezhen Yimakan storytelling in the recreated settings.

7. Further considers that, from the information included in the request and the periodic report on the status of the element on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, the programme responds as follows to the criteria for selection as a good safeguarding practice set out in paragraph 7 of the Operational Directives:

G.1:   Involving measures that are culturally appropriate for the communities of bearers and practitioners, the safeguarding programme reflects the principles and objectives of the Convention. Strengthening local identity and language through the preservation of oral cultural heritage is a key point of this programme.

G.2:   The programme has demonstrated its ability to ensure the viability and vitality of the element, creating an environment that is more conducive to its transmission and adapted to local cultural contexts and current social transitions. In this way, it has strengthened community practices and increased the number of people involved.

G.3:   Strong community commitment has been demonstrated in the safeguarding experience. In addition, the initiative has demonstrated a strong capacity to promote intersectoral and interinstitutional integration, including through the involvement of schools, universities, local authorities and the central government, as well as the bearers of oral traditions.

G.4: The parties involved agree and are committed to continuing actions to safeguard this cultural element. The coordination between safeguarding cultural heritage and linguistic heritage could serve as an example for other States Parties and communities.

8. Decides to selectSafeguarding programme for Hezhen Yimakan storytelling as a programme, project or activity best reflecting the principles and objectives of the Convention;
9. Encourages the State Party and communities concerned to share the associated safeguarding experiences gained also through the online platform to be established in the context of a broader implementation of Article 18 of the Convention.