First Educational and Community Meeting on Bailes Chinos (Copiapó, 2025)
ln October 2025, the First Educational and Community Meeting on Bailes Chinos will take place in Copiapó. This is a community initiative that arises from an academic project supported by the Municipality of Copiapó, through its Mayor and the Office of Culture. This instance was created in response to UNESCO’s call and marks the first time that Chile will take part in the activities commemorating the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Bailes Chinos, recognized by UNESCO in 2014 as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, are among the oldest devotional dances in Chile. However, in Copiapó their presence has diminished, and many groups have been excluded from the main festivities, while newer dances such as the diabladas or tinkus have gained visibility. This situation generates confusion in the community-where “all dances are called chinos” -and contributes to the erosion of this unique tradition.
The book Ya nos vamos de partida (Carvajal, 2022), available at https://baileschinos.cl/publicacion/libro-ya-nos-vamos-de-partida-2022/, compiles testimonies in which the dancers themselves express the difficulty of sustaining their tradition in the territory. This reflects a deep concern for its continuity, as they perceive the risk of disappearance and invisibilization in their own community.
This meeting, framed within an ongoing university research project led by a professional from the commune, includes awareness-raising workshops with municipal officiais (13-17 October 2025) and educational sessions in schools in Copiapó (13-31 October 2025). The activities will include dialogues with tradition bearers, practical workshops, and participatory surveys.
ln this way, the initiative seeks to raise awareness among both institutions and the school community about the importance of the Bailes Chinos, promote the right to information, and contribute to establishing in Copiapó the annual commemoration of the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Organizers: Research and Community Alliance for the Bailes Chinos of Copiapó, with the support of the Municipality with Baile Chino Grupo de Peregrinos, Cultural Officer, Municipality of Copiapó, Baile Chino Andacollo de Tierra AmarillaProgramme
From 13 to 31 October 2025
Awareness-raising workshops will be held with municipal officiais (13-17 October) and between 1 and 3 educational sessions in schools in Copiapó (13-31 October, maximum one per school).
Activities:
- Historical and cultural introduction.
- Dialogue with tradition bearers and presentation of academic research.
- Participatory workshop (instruments, songs, practices).
- Short survey with students and officials (with parental authorization in the case of minors).
- Distribution of a pedagogical leaflet and open dialogue.
Objectives:
- Raise awareness among students and municipal officials about the importance of the Bailes Chinos.
- Promote the right to information prior to preservation consultations.
- Contribute to establishing the annual commemoration of the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Copiapó.
- Contribute to the safeguarding of the Bailes Chinos as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
A community pedagogical leaflet will be distributed as supporting material for the workshops, containing introductory notes on the history and meanings of the Bailes Chinos. Its distribution in October 2025 seeks to raise awareness among students and officials, reinforcing the value of this tradition as the first Intangible Cultural Heritage of Chile inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List (2014).
Text as provided by the organiser(s).